Commentary1    [Properly so-called. His other works on the Scriptures are in the form of homilies, or expository sermons, with the exception of his continuous commentary on the first six chapters of Isaiah. But as Schaff says “his homilies are expository and his commentaries are homiletical.”—G.A.] of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians.

Chapter I.

Verse 1–3

“Paul, an Apostle, (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead;) and all the brethren which are with me, unto the Churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The exordium2    “The two threads which run through this Epistle—the defence of the Apostle’s own authority, and the maintenance of the doctrine of grace—are knotted together in the opening salutation. By expanding his official title into a statement of his direct commission from God, he meets the personal attack of his enemies; and by dwelling on the work of redemption in connection with the name of Christ (v. 4.) he resists their doctrinal errors.”—Lightfoot.—G.A.] is full of a vehement and lofty spirit, and not the exordium only, but also, so to speak, the whole Epistle. For always to address one’s disciples with mildness, even when they need severity is not the part of a teacher but it would be the part of a corrupter and enemy. Wherefore our Lord too, though He generally spoke gently to His disciples, here and there uses sterner language, and at one time pronounces a blessing, at another a rebuke. Thus, having said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona,” (Matt. xvi. 17.) and having promised to lay the foundation of the Church upon his confession, shortly afterwards He says, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art a stumbling block unto Me.” (Matt. xvi. 23.) Again, on another occasion, “Are ye also even yet without understanding?” (Matt. xv. 16.) And what awe He inspired them with appears from John’s saying, that, when they beheld Him conversing with the Samaritan woman, though they reminded Him to take food, no one ventured to say, “What seekest Thou, or why speakest thou with her?” (John iv. 27.) Thus taught, and walking in the steps of his Master, Paul hath varied his discourse according to the need of his disciples, at one time using knife and cautery, at another, applying mild remedies. To the Corinthians he says, “What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in a spirit of meekness?” (1 Cor. vi. 21.) but to the Galatians, “O foolish Galatians.” (Gal. iii. 1.) And not once only, but a second time, also he has employed this reproof, and towards the conclusion he says with a reproachful allusion to them, “Let no man trouble me;” (Gal. vi. 17.) but he soothes them again with the words, “My little children, of whom I am again in travail:” (Gal. iv. 19.) and so in many other instances.

Now that this Epistle breathes an indignant spirit, is obvious to every one even on the first perusal; but I must explain the cause of his anger against the disciples. Slight and unimportant it could not be, or he would not have used such vehemence. For to be exasperated by common matters is the part of the little-minded, morose, and peevish; just as it is that of the more redolent and sluggish to lose heart in weighty ones. Such a one was not Paul. What then was the offence which roused him? it was grave and momentous, one which was estranging them all from Christ, as he himself says further on, “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing;” (Gal. v. 2.) and again, “Ye who would be justified by the Law, ye are fallen away from Grace.” (Gal. v. 4.) What then is this? For it must be explained more clearly. Some of the Jews who believed, being held down by the preposessions of Judaism, and at the same time intoxicated by vain-glory, and desirous of obtaining for themselves the dignity of teachers, came to the Galatians, and taught them that the observance of circumcision, sabbaths, and new-moons, was necessary, and that Paul in abolishing these things was not to be borne. For, said they, Peter and James and John, the chiefs of the Apostles and the companions of Christ, forbade them not. Now in fact they did not forbid these things, but this was not by way of delivering positive doctrine, but in condescension to the weakness of the Jewish believers, which condescension Paul had no need of when preaching to the Gentiles; but when he was in Judæa, he employed it himself3    [As is narrated, for example, in Acts xxi. 20–26, which was, Baur and his Tübingen critics to the contrary notwithstanding, in accordance with Paul’s principle and practice, as announced in 1 Cor. ix. 20.—G.A.] also. But these deceivers, by withholding the causes both of Paul’s condescension and that of his brethren, misled the simpler ones, saying that he was not to be tolerated, for he appeared but yesterday, while Peter and his colleagues were from the first,—that he was a disciple of the Apostles, but they of Christ,—that he was single, but they were many, and pillars of the Church. They accused him too of acting a part; saying, that this very man who forbids circumcision observes the rite elsewhere, and preaches one way to you and another way to others.

Since Paul then saw the whole Galatian people in a state of excitement, a flame kindled against their Church, and the edifice shaken and tottering to its fall, filled with the mixed feelings of just anger and despondency, (which he has expressed in the words, “I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my voice,”—Gal. iv. 20.) he writes the Epistle as an answer to these charges. This is his aim from the very commencement, for the underminers of his reputation had said, The others were disciples of Christ but this man of the “Apostles.” Wherefore he begins thus, “Paul, an Apostle not from men, neither through man.” For, these deceivers, as I was saying before, had said that this man was the last of all the Apostles and was taught by them, for Peter, James, and John, were both first called, and held a primacy among the disciples, and had also received their doctrines from Christ Himself; and that it was therefore fitting to obey them rather than this man; and that they forbad not circumcision nor the observance of the Law. By this and similar language and by depreciating Paul, and exalting the honor of the other Apostles, though not spoken for the sake of praising them, but of deceiving the Galatians, they induced them to adhere unseasonably to the Law. Hence the propriety of his commencement. As they disparaged his doctrine, saying it came from men, while that of Peter came from Christ, he immediately addresses himself to this point, declaring himself an apostle “not from men, neither through man.” It was Ananias who baptized him, but it was not he who delivered him from the way of error and initiated him into the faith; but Christ Himself sent from on high that wondrous voice, whereby He inclosed him in his net. For Peter and his brother, and John and his brother, He called when walking by the seaside, (Matt. iv. 18.) but Paul after His ascension into heaven. (Acts. ix. 3, 4.) And just as these did not require a second call, but straightway left their nets and all that they had, and followed Him, so this man at his first vocation pressed vigorously forward, waging, as soon as he was baptized, an implacable war with the Jews. In this respect he chiefly excelled the other Apostles, as he says, “I labored more abundantly than they all;” (1 Cor. xv. 10.) at present, however, he makes no such claim, but is content to be placed on a level with them. Indeed his great object was, not to establish any superiority for himself, but, to overthrow the foundation of their error. The not being “from men” has reference to all alike for the Gospel’s root and origin is divine, but the not being “through man” is peculiar to the Apostles; for He called them not by men’s agency, but by His own.4    “Not from men as an ultimate, nor through man as a mediate authority.”—Ellicott.   “In the first clause, ‘from men,’ he distinguishes himself from the false apostles who did not derive their authority from God at all; in the second, ‘through man,’ he ranks himself with the twelve who were commissioned directly from God. The singular is used in second clause, ‘through man,’ because offices which emanate from a body of men are conferred by their single representative.”—Lightfoot.   [“Paul has in second clause used the singular because the contrast is ‘through Jesus Christ.’”—Meyer.—G.A.]

But why does he not speak of his vocation rather than his apostolate, and say, “Paul” called “not by man?” Because here lay the whole question; for they said that the office of a teacher had been committed to him by men, namely by the Apostles, whom therefore it behooved him to obey. But that it was not entrusted to him by men, Luke declares in the words, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul.” (Acts xiii. 2.)

From this passage it is manifest5    This digression, and others which follow, were occasioned by the controversies of the day; the Arians and Macedonians denying the co-equality and consubstantiality of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. that the power of the Son and Spirit is one, for being commissioned by the Spirit, he says that he was commissioned by Christ. This appears in another place, from his ascription of the things of God to the Spirit, in the words which he addresses to the elders at Miletus: “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops.” (Acts xx. 28.) Yet in another Epistle he says, “And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers.” (1 Cor. xii. 28.) Thus he ascribes indifferently the things of the Spirit to God, and the things of God to the Spirit. Here too he stops the mouths of heretics, by the words “through Jesus Christ and God the Father;” for, inasmuch as they said this term “through” was applied to the Son as importing inferiority, see what he does. He ascribes it to the Father, thus teaching us not to prescribe laws to the ineffable Nature, nor define the degrees of Godhead which belong to the Father and Son. For to the words “through Jesus Christ” he has added, “and God the Father;” for if at the mention of the Father alone he had introduced the phrase “through whom,” they might have argued sophistically that it was peculiarly applicable to the Father, in that the acts of the Son were to be referred to Him. But he leaves no opening for this cavil, by mentioning at once both the Son and the Father, and making his language apply to both. This he does, not as referring the acts of the Son to the Father, but to show that the expression implies no distinction of Essence.6    [“To urge this use of διἃ in connection with Son and the Father as direct evidence for the ὀμοουσια of the Father and the Son (as Chrysostom and Theod.) may perhaps be rightly deemed precarious. Yet there is something very noticeable in this use of a common preposition with both the first and second persons of the Trinity by a writer so cumulative and yet for the most part so exact in his use of prepositions as St. Paul.”—Ellicott.—G.A.] Further, what can now be said by those, who have gathered a notion of inferiority from the Baptismal formula,—from our being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?7    [That is, from the order of the three names.—G.A.] For if the Son be inferior because He is named after the Father, what will they say seeing that, in the passage before us, the Apostle beginning from Christ proceeds to mention the Father?—but let us not even utter such a blasphemy, let us not swerve from the truth in our contention with them; rather let us preserve, even if they rave ten thousand times, the due measures of reverence. Since then it would be the height of madness and impiety to argue that the Son was greater than the Father because Christ was first named, so we dare not hold that the Son is inferior to the Father, because He is placed after Him in the Baptismal formula.

“Who raised Him from the dead.”

Wherefore is it, O Paul, that, wishing to bring these Judaizers to the faith, you introduce none of those great and illustrious topics which occur in your Epistle to the Philippians, as, “Who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God,” (Philip. ii. 6.) or which you afterwards declared in that to the Hebrews, “the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of His substance;” (Heb. i. 3.) or again, what in the opening of his Gospel the son of thunder sounded forth, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;” (John i. 1..) or what Jesus Himself oftentimes declared to the Jews, “that His power and authority was equal to the Father’s?” (John v. 19, 27, &c.) Do you omit all these, and make mention of the economy of His Incarnation only, bringing forward His cross and dying? “Yes,” would Paul answer. For had this discourse been addressed to those who had unworthy conceptions of Christ, it would have been well to mention those things; but, inasmuch as the disturbance comes from persons who fear to incur punishment should they abandon the Law, he therefore mentions that whereby all need of the Law is excluded, I mean the benefit conferred on all through the Cross and the Resurrection. To have said that “in the beginning was the Word,” and that “He was in the form of God, and made Himself equal with God,” and the like, would have declared the divinity of the Word, but would have contributed nothing to the matter in hand. Whereas it was highly pertinent thereto to add, “Who raised Him from the dead,” for our chiefest benefit was thus brought to remembrance, and men in general are less interested by discourses concerning the majesty of God, than by those which set forth the benefits which come to mankind. Wherefore, omitting the former topic, he discourses of the benefits which had been conferred on us.

But here the heretics insultingly exclaim, “Lo, the Father raises the Son!” For when once infected, they are wilfully deaf to all sublimer doctrines; and taking by itself and insisting on what is of a less exalted nature, and expressed in less exalted terms, either on account of the Son’s humanity, or in honor of the Father, or for some other temporary purpose, they outrage, I will not say the Scripture, but themselves. I would fain ask such persons, why they say this? do they hope to prove the Son weak and powerless to raise one body? Nay, verily, faith in Him enabled the very shadows of those who believed in Him to effect the resurrection of the dead. (Acts. v. 15.) Then believers in Him, though mortal, yet by the very shadows of their earthly bodies, and by the garments which had touched these bodies, could raise the dead, but He could not raise Himself? Is not this manifest madness, a great stretch of folly? Hast thou not heard His saying, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up?” (John ii. 19.) and again, “I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again?” (John x. 18.) Wherefore then is the Father said to have raised Him up, as also to have done other things which the Son Himself did? It is in honor of the Father, and in compassion to the weakness of the hearers.

“And all the brethren which are with me.”

Why is it that he has on no other occasion in sending an epistle added this phrase? For either he puts his own name only or that of two or three others, but here has mentioned the whole number and so has mentioned no one by name.

On what account then does he this?

They made the slanderous charge that he was singular in his preaching, and desired to introduce novelty in Christian teaching. Wishing therefore to remove their suspicion, and to show he had many to support him in his doctrine, he has associated with himself “the brethren,” to show that what he wrote he wrote with their accord.8    [Meyer agrees with Lightfoot and Ellicott in the view that πἁντες means not all the Christians of the place where he was (probably Ephesus), but only his traveling companions; but he differs from them in holding that “the impressive effect of the epistle could not but be strengthened by indicating that these brethren collectively desired to address the very same instructions, warnings and exhortations to the Galatians.”—G.A.]

“Unto the Churches of Galatia.”

Thus it appears, that the flame of error had spread over not one or two cities merely, but the whole Galatian people. Consider too the grave indignation contained in the phrase, “unto the Churches of Galatia:” he does not say, “to the beloved” or “to the sanctified,” and this omission of all names of affection or respect, and this speaking of them as a society merely, without the addition “Churches of God,” for it is simply “Churches of Galatia,” is strongly expressive of deep concern and sorrow. Here at the outset, as well as elsewhere, he attacks their irregularities, and therefore gives them the name of “Churches,” in order to shame them, and reduce them to unity. For persons split into many parties cannot properly claim this appellation, for the name of “Church” is a name of harmony and concord.

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This he always mentions as indispensible, and in this Epistle to the Galatians especially; for since they were in danger of falling from grace he prays that they may recover it again, and since they had come to be at war with God, he beseeches God to restore them to the same peace.

“God the Father.”

Here again is a plain confutation of the heretics, who say that John in the opening of his Gospel, where he says “the Word was God,” used the word Θεὸς without the article, to imply an inferiority in the Son’s Godhead; and that Paul, where he says that the Son was “in the form of God,” did not mean the Father, because the word Θεὸς is without the article. For what can they say here, where Paul says, ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρος, and not ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ? And it is in no indulgent mood towards them that he calls God, “Father,” but by way of severe rebuke, and suggestion of the source whence they became sons, for the honor was vouchsafed to them not through the Law, but through the washing of regeneration. Thus everywhere, even in his exordium, he scatters traces of the goodness of God, and we may conceive him speaking thus: “O ye who were lately slaves, enemies and aliens, what right have ye suddenly acquired to call God your Father? it was not the Law which conferred upon you this relationship; why do ye therefore desert Him who brought you so near to God, and return to your tutor?9    [The word is παιδαγωγός, the same that is used in Gal. 3: 24, 25, and translated ‘school-master’ in the A.V., but ‘tutor’ in the Rev. Ver.—G.A.]

But the Name of the Son, as well as that of the Father, had been sufficient to declare to them these blessings. This will appear, if we consider the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ with attention; for it is said, “thou shalt call His Name Jesus; for it is He that shall save His people from their sins;” (Matt. i. 21.) and the appellation of “Christ” calls to mind the unction of the Spirit.

Ver. 4. “Who gave himself for our sins.”10    [“The Galatians had practically ignored the atoning death of Christ; compare ii. 21 and v. 4.”—Lightfoot.—G.A.]

Thus it appears, that the ministry which He undertook was free and uncompelled; that He was delivered up by Himself, not by another. Let not therefore the words of John, “that the Father gave His only-begotten Son” (John iii. 16.) for us, lead you to derogate from the dignity of the Only-begotten, or to infer therefrom that He is only human. For the Father is said to have given Him, not as implying that the Son’s ministry was a servile one, but to teach us that it seemed good to the Father, as Paul too has shown in the immediate context: “according to the will of our God, and Father.” He says not “by the command,” but “according to the will,” for inasmuch as there is an unity of will in the Father and the Son, that which the Son wills, the Father wills also.

“For our sins,”11    [“The idea of satisfaction is implied not in the preposition ὑπέρ but the whole nature of the case.”—Meyer.—G.A.] says the Apostle; we had pierced ourselves with ten thousand evils, and had deserved the gravest punishment; and the Law not only did not deliver us, but it even condemned us, making sin more manifest, without the power to release us from it, or to stay the anger of God. But the Son of God made this impossibility possible for he remitted our sins, He restored us from enmity to the condition of friends, He freely bestowed on us numberless other blessings.

Ver. 4. “That He might deliver us out of this present evil world.”

Another class of heretics12    That is, the Manichees, who considered matter intrinsically evil, and paid divine honors to the sun, moon, and stars. Vid. Epiph. Hær. lxvi. [On Mani and the Manichean heresy see Schaff, Church History, Vol. II. pp. 498–508 where a full account of the literature is given also.—G.A.] seize upon these words of Paul, and pervert his testimony to an accusation of the present life. Lo, say they, he has called this present world evil, and pray tell me what does “world” [age] αἴων mean but time measured by days and seasons? Is then the distinction of days and the course of the sun evil? no one would assert this even if he be carried away to the extreme of unreasonableness. “But” they say, “it is not the ‘time,’ but the present ‘life,’ which he hath called evil.” Now the words themselves do not in fact say this; but the heretics do not rest in the words, and frame their charge from them, but propose to themselves a new mode of interpretation. At least therefore they must allow us to produce our interpretation, and the rather in that it is both pious and rational. We assert then that evil cannot be the cause of good, yet that the present life is productive of a thousand prizes and rewards. And so the blessed Paul himself extols it abundantly in the words, “But if to live in the flesh, if this is the fruit of my work, then what I shall choose I wont not;” (Philip. i. 22.) and then placing before himself the alternative of living upon earth, and departing and being with Christ, he decides for the former. But were this life evil, he would not have thus spoken of it, nor could any one, however strenuous his endeavor, draw it aside into the service of virtue. For no one would ever use evil for good, fornication for chastity, envy for benevolence. And so, when he says, that “the mind of the flesh is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be,” (Rom. viii. 7.) he means that vice, as such, cannot become virtue; and the expression, “evil world,” must be understood to mean evil actions, and a depraved moral principle. Again, Christ came not to put us to death and deliver us from the present life in that sense, but to leave us in the world, and prepare us for a worthy participation of our heavenly abode. Wherefore He saith to the Father, “And these are in the world, and I come to Thee; I pray not that Thou shouldest take them from the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil,” (John xvii. 11, 15.) i.e., from sin. Further, those who will not allow this, but insist that the present life is evil, should not blame those who destroy themselves; for as he who withdraws himself from evil is not blamed, but deemed worthy of a crown, so he who by a violent death, by hanging or otherwise, puts an end to his life, ought not to be condemned. Whereas God punishes such men more than murderers, and we all regard them with horror, and justly; for if it is base to destroy others, much more is it to destroy one’s self. Moreover, if this life be evil, murderers would deserve a crown, as rescuing us from evil. Besides this, they are caught by their own words, for in that they place the sun in the first, and the moon in the second rank of their deities, and worship them as the givers of many goods, their statements are contradictory. For the use of these and the other heavenly bodies, is none other than to contribute to our present life, which they say is evil, by nourishing and giving light to the bodies of men and animals and bringing plants to maturity. How is it then that the constitution of this “evil life” is so ministered to by those, who according to you are gods? Gods indeed they are not, far from it, but works of God created for our use; nor is this world evil. And if you tell me of murderers, of adulterers, of tomb-robbers, these things have nothing to do with the present life, for these offences proceed not from that life which we live in the flesh, but from a depraved will. For, if they were necessarily connected with this life, as embraced in one lot with it, no man would be free or pure from them, for no man can escape the characteristic accidents of humanity, such as, to eat and drink, to sleep and grow, to hunger and thirst, to be born and die, and the like; no man can ever become superior to these, neither sinner nor just man, king nor peasant, We all are subject to the necessity of nature. And so if vice were an essential element of this life, no one could avoid it, any more than the things just mentioned. And let me not be told that good men are rare, for natural necessity is insuperable by all, so that as long as one virtuous man shall be found, my argument will in no wise be invalidated. Miserable, wretched man! what is it thou sayest? Is this life evil, wherein we have learnt to know God, and meditate on things to come, and have become angels instead of men, and take part in the choirs of the heavenly powers? What other proof do we need of an evil and depraved mind?

“Why then,” they say, “does Paul call the present life evil?” In calling the present world [age] evil, he has accommodated himself to our usage, who are wont to say, “I have had a bad day,” thereby complaining not of the time itself, but of actions or circumstances. And so Paul in complaining of evil principles of action has used these customary forms of speech; and he shows that Christ hath both delivered us from our offences, and secured us for the future. The first he has declared in the words, “Who gave Himself for our sins;” and by adding, “that He might deliver us out of this present evil world,” he has pronounced our future safety. For neither of these did the Law avail, but grace was sufficient for both.

Ver. 4. “According to the will of our God and Father.”13    [“And not by our own merits. cf. τοῦ καλέσαντος, v. 6.”—Lightfoot.   “The salvation was willed by God to whom Christ was obedient (Philip. ii. 9.).”—Meyer.—G.A.]

Since they were terrified by their notion that by deserting that old Law and adhering to the new, they should disobey God, who gave the Law, he corrects their error, and says, that this seemed good to the Father also: and not simply “the Father,” but “our Father,” which he does in order to affect them by showing that Christ has made His Father our Father.

Ver. 5. “To whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

This too is new and unusual, for we never find the word, “Amen” placed at the beginning of an Epistle, but a good way on; here, however he has it in his beginning, to show that what he had already said contained a sufficient charge against the Galatians, and that his argument was complete, for a manifest offence does not require an elaborate crimination. Having spoken of the Cross, and Resurrection, of redemption from sin and security for the future, of the purpose of the Father, and the will of the Son, of grace and peace and His whole gift, he concludes with an ascription of praise.

Another reason for it is the exceeding astonishment into which he was thrown by the magnitude of the gift, the superabundance of the grace, the consideration who we were, and what God had wrought, and that at once and in a single moment of time. Unable to express this in words, he breaks out into a doxology, sending up for the whole world an eulogium, not indeed worthy of the subject, but such as was possible to him. Hence too he proceeds to use more vehement language; as if greatly kindled by a sense of the Divine benefits, for having said, “To whom be the glory for ever and ever, Amen,” he commences with a more severe reproof.

Ver. 6. “I marvel that ye are so quickly14    [This note of time helps to fix the date of the Epistle as being about 56 or 57 during Paul’s two years’ stay at Ephesus (Acts 19: 10.). So most modern expositors, though Lightfoot and some others put it later.—G.A.] removing from Him that called you in the grace of Christ, unto a different Gospel.”

Like the Jews who persecuted Christ, they imagined their observance of the Law was acceptable to the Father, and he therefore shows that in doing this they displeased not only Christ, but the Father also, for that they fell away thereby not from Christ only, but from the Father also. As the old covenant was given not by the Father only, but also by the Son, so the covenant of grace proceeded from the Father as well as the Son, and Their every act is common: “All things whatsoever the Father hath are Mine.” (John xv. 16.) By saying that they had fallen off from the Father, he brings a twofold charge against them, of an apostasy, and of an immediate apostasy. The opposite extreme a late apostasy, is also blameworthy, but he who falls away at the first onset, and in the very skirmishing, displays an example of the most extreme cowardice, of which very thing he accuses them also saying: “How is this that your seducers need not even time for their designs, but the first approaches suffice for your overthrow and capture? And what excuse can ye have? If this is a crime among friends, and he who deserts old and useful associates is to be condemned, consider what punishment he is obnoxious to who revolts from God that called him.” He says, “I marvel,” not only by way of reproof, that after such bounty, such a remission of their sins, such overflowing kindness, they had deserted to the yoke of servitude, but also in order to show, that the opinion he had had of them was a favorable and exalted one. For, had he ranked them among ordinary and easily deceived persons, he would not have felt surprise. “But since you,” he says, “are of the noble sort and have suffered, much, I do marvel.” Surely this was enough to recover and lead them back to their first expressions. He alludes to it also in the middle of the Epistle, “Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain.” (Gal. iii. 4.) “Ye are removing;” he says not, “ye are removed,” that is, “I will not believe or suppose that your seduction is complete;” this is the language of one about to recover them, which further on he expresses yet more clearly in the words, “I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded.” (Gal. v. 10.)

“From Him that called you in the grace of Christ.”

The calling is from the Father, but the cause of it is the Son. He it is who hath brought about reconciliation and bestowed it as a gift, for we were not saved by works in righteousness: or I should rather say that these blessings proceed from Both; as He says, “Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine.” (John xvii. 10.) He says not “ye are removing from the Gospel” but “from God who called you,” a more frightful expression, and more likely to affect them. Their seducers did not act abruptly but gradually, and while they removed them from the faith in fact, left names unchanged. It is the policy of Satan not to set his snares in open view; had they urged them to fall away from Christ, they would have been shunned as deceivers and corrupters, but suffering them so far to continue in the faith, and putting upon their error the name of the Gospel, without fear they undermined the building employing the terms which they used as a sort of curtain to conceal the destroyers themselves. As therefore they gave the name of Gospel to this their imposture, he contends against the very name, and boldly says, “unto a different Gospel,”—

Ver. 7. “Which is not another Gospel.”

And justly, for there is not another.15    [The Revised version brings out the difference of the words for “another.” The ἕτερον, “a different kind of” gospel, the second is ἄλλο, “another,” simply. “To a different sort of gospel,—nay, it is not another gospel. There cannot be two gospels. Only certain men are troubling you and trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But a perverted gospel is no gospel at all.”—G.A.] Nevertheless the Marcionites16    Marcion flourished about a.d. 120–130. His doctrine was a compound of various preceding theologies, chiefly the Gnostic. He received only a part of St. Luke’s Gospel. Tertull. in Marc. iv. 2–4. He it was who on asking Polycarp to “acknowledge” him, received for answer, “I acknowledge thee as the first-born of Satan.” are misled by this phrase, as diseased persons are injured even by healthy food, for they have seized upon it, and exclaim, “So Paul himself has declared there is no other Gospel.” For they do not allow all the Evangelists, but one only, and him mutilated and confused according to their pleasure. Their explanation of the words, “according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,” (Rom. xvi. 25.) is sufficiently ridiculous; nevertheless, for the sake of those who are easily seduced, it is necessary to refute it. We assert, therefore, that, although a thousand Gospels were written, if the contents of all were the same, they would still be one, and their unity no wise infringed by the number of writers. So, on the other hand, if there were one writer only, but he were to contradict himself, the unity of the things written would be destroyed. For the oneness of a work depends not on the number of its authors, but on the agreement or contradictoriness of its contents. Whence it is clear that the four Gospels are one Gospel; for, as the four say the same thing, its oneness is preserved by the harmony of the contents, and not impaired by the difference of persons. And Paul is not now speaking of the number but of the discrepancy of the things spoken. With justice might they lay hold of this expression, if the Gospels of Matthew and Luke differed in the signification of their contents, and in their doctrinal accuracy; but as they are one and the same, let them cease being senseless and pretending to be ignorant of these things which are plain to the very children.

Ver. 7. “Only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.”

That is to say, ye will not recognize another Gospel, so long as your mind is sane, so long as your vision remains healthy, and free from distorted and imaginary phantoms. For as the disordered eye mistakes the object presented to it, so does the mind when made turbid by the confusion of evil thoughts. Thus the madman confounds objects; but this insanity is more dangerous than a physical malady, for it works injury not in the regions of sense, but of the mind; it creates confusion not in the organ of bodily vision, but in the eye of the understanding.

“And would17    [θέλοντες: On this word Jerome aptly says, Volunt sed non valent. The troubling of the Galatians, however, did actually take place.—G.A.] pervert the Gospel of Christ.” They had, in fact, only introduced one or two commandments, circumcision and the observance of days, but he says that the Gospel was subverted, in order to show that a slight adulteration vitiates the whole. For as he who but partially pares away the image on a royal coin renders the whole spurious, so he who swerves ever so little from the pure faith, soon proceeds from this to graver errors, and becomes entirely corrupted. Where then are those who charge us with being contentious in separating from heretics, and say that there is no real difference between us except what arises from our ambition? Let them hear Paul’s assertion, that those who had but slightly innovated, subverted the Gospel. Not to say that the Son of God is a created Being, is a small matter. Know you not that even under the elder covenant, a man who gathered sticks on the sabbath, and transgressed a single commandment, and that not a great one, was punished with death? (Num. xv. 32, 36.) and that Uzzah, who supported the Ark when on the point of being overturned, was struck suddenly dead, because he had intruded upon an office which did not pertain to him? (2 Sam. vi. 6, 7.) Wherefore if to transgress the sabbath, and to touch the falling Ark, drew down the wrath of God so signally as to deprive the offender of even a momentary respite, shall he who corrupts unutterably awful doctrines find excuse and pardon? Assuredly not. A want of zeal in small matters is the cause of all our calamities; and because slight errors escape fitting correction, greater ones creep in. As in the body, a neglect of wounds generates fever, mortification, and death; so in the soul, slight evils overlooked open the door to graver ones. It is accounted a trivial fault that one man should neglect fasting; that another, who is established in the pure faith, dissembling on account of circumstances, should surrender his bold profession of it, neither is this anything great or dreadful; that a third should be irritated, and threaten to depart from the true faith, is excused on the plea of passion and resentment. Thus a thousand similar errors are daily introduced into the Church, and we are become a laughing-stock to Jews and Greeks, seeing that the Church is divided into a thousand parties. But if a proper rebuke had at first been given to those who attempted slight perversions, and a deflection from the divine oracles, such a pestilence would not have been generated, nor such a storm have seized upon the Churches. You will now understand why Paul calls circumcision a subversion of the Gospel. There are many among us now, who fast on the same day as the Jews, and keep the sabbaths in the same manner; and we endure it nobly or rather ignobly and basely. And why do I speak of Jews seeing that many Gentile customs are observed by some among us; omens, auguries, presages, distinctions of days, a curious attention to the circumstances of their children’s birth, and, as soon as they are born, tablets with impious inscriptions are placed upon their unhappy heads, thereby teaching them from the first to lay aside virtuous endeavors, and drawing part of them at least under the false domination of fate.18    [There is an eloquent passage on this same subject of foolish and sinful superstitions among Christians in Homily xii. on Ephesians, near the end.—G.A.] But if Christ in no way profits those that are circumcised, what shall faith hereafter avail to the salvation of those who have introduced such corruptions? Although circumcision was given by God, yet Paul used every effort to abolish it, because its unseasonable observance was injurious to the Gospel. If then he was so earnest against the undue maintenance of Jewish customs, what excuse can we have for not abrogating Gentile ones? Hence our affairs are now in confusion and trouble, hence have our learners being filled with pride, reversed the order of things throwing every thing into confusion, and their discipline having been neglected by us their governors, they spurn our reproof however gentle. And yet if their superiors were even more worthless and full of numberless evils, it would not be right for the disciple to disobey. It is said of the Jewish doctors, that as they sat in Moses’ seat, their disciples were bound to obey them, though their works were so evil, that the Lord forbad His disciples to imitate them. What excuse therefore is there for those who insult and trample on men, rulers of the Church, and living, by the grace of God, holy lives? If it be unlawful for us to judge each other, much more is it to judge our teachers.

Ver. 8, 9. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any Gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema.”

See the Apostle’s wisdom; to obviate the objection that he was prompted by vainglory to applaud his own doctrine, he includes himself also in his anathema; and as they betook themselves to authority, that of James and John, he mentions angels also saying, “Tell me not of James and John; if one of the most exalted angels of heaven corrupt the Gospel, let him be anathema.” The phrase “of heaven” is purposely added, because priests are also called angels. “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger [angel] of the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. ii. 7.) Lest therefore it should be thought that priests are here meant, by the term “angels,” he points out the celestial intelligences by the addition, “from heaven.” And he says not, if they preach a contrary Gospel, or subvert the whole of the true one, let them be anathema; but, if they even slightly vary, or incidentally disturb, my doctrine. “As we have said before, so say I now again.” That his words might not seem to be spoken in anger, or with exaggeration, or with recklessness he now repeats them.19    [Though this view of Chrysostom, that the προειρήκαμεν refers to what immediately precedes is held by many others, it is not tenable for two reasons; 1. St. Paul would have used the singular προειρηκα, as he does in λέγω, immediately following. 2 The πρό in composition, and the καί ἄρτι, both, mark some greater distinction of time than this would allow.—G.A.] Sentiments may perhaps change, when an expression has been called forth by anger, but to repeat it a second time proves that it is spoken advisedly, and was previously approved by the judgment. When Abraham was requested to send Lazarus, he replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them: if they hear them not, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead.” (Luke xvi. 31.) And Christ introduces Abraham thus speaking, to show that He would have the Scriptures accounted more worthy of credence, even than one raised from the dead: Paul too, (and when I say Paul, I mean Christ, who directed his mind,) prefers them before an angel come down from heaven. And justly, for the angels, though mighty, are but servants and ministers, but the Scriptures were all written and sent, not by servants, but by God the Lord of all. He says, if “any man” preach another Gospel to you than that which we have preached,—not “if this or that man:” and herein appears his prudence, and care of giving offence, for what needed there still any mention of names, when he had used such extensive terms as to embrace all, both in heaven and earth? In that he anathemized evangelists and angels, he included every dignity, and his mention of himself included every intimacy and affinity. “Tell me not,” he exclaims, “that my fellow-apostles and colleagues have so spoken; I spare not myself if I preach such doctrine.” And he says this not as condemning the Apostles for swerving from the message they were commissioned to deliver; far from it, (for he says, whether we or they thus preach;) but to show, that in the discussion of truth the dignity of persons is not to be considered.

Ver. 10. “For20    [“I speak thus strongly, for my language shall not be misconstrued. Will any one now say that careless of winning the favor of God, I seek to ingratiate myself with men?” Lightfoot.—G.A.] am I now persuading men: or God?” or am I seeking to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.”

Granting, says he, that I might deceive you by these doctrines, could I deceive God, who knows my yet unuttered thoughts, and to please whom is my unceasing endeavor? See here the Apostolical spirit, the Evangelical loftiness! So too he writes to the Corinthians, “For we are not again commending ourselves unto you, but speak as giving you occasion of glorying;” (2 Cor. v. 12.) and again, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment.” (1 Cor. iv. 3.) For since he is compelled to justify himself to his disciples, being their teacher, he submits to it; but he is grieved at it, not on account of chagrin, far from it, but on account of the instability of the minds of those led away and on account of not being fully trusted by them. Wherefore Paul now speaks, as it were, thus:—Is my account to be rendered to you? Shall I be judged by men? My account is to God, and all my acts are with a view to that inquisition, nor am I so miserably abandoned as to pervert my doctrine, seeing that I am to justify what I preach before the Lord of all.

He thus expressed himself, as much with a view of withstanding their opinions, as in self-defence; for it becomes disciples to obey, not to judge, their master. But now, says he, that the order is reversed, and ye sit as judges, know that I am but little concerned to defend myself before you; all, I do for God’s sake, and in order that I may answer to Him concerning my doctrine. He who wishes to persuade men, is led to act tortuously and insincerely, and to employ deceit and falsehood, in order to engage the assent of his hearers. But he who addresses himself to God, and desires to please Him, needs simplicity and purity of mind, for God cannot be deceived. Whence it is plain that I have thus written to you not from the love of rule, or to gain disciples, or to receive honor at your hands. My endeavor has been to please God, not man. Were it otherwise, I should still consort with the Jews,21    “χριστοῦ δοῦλος should not be taken in an historical sense, as Chrysostom. This would be feeble and lacking in depth of thought. No, it is to be taken in its ethical character.”—Meyer.—G.A.] still persecute the Church, I who have cast off my country altogether, my companions, my friends, my kindred, and all my reputation, and taken in exchange for these, persecution, enmity, strife, and daily-impending death, have given a signal proof that I speak not from love of human applause. This he says, being about to narrate his former life, and sudden conversion, and to demonstrate clearly that it was sincere. And that they might not be elevated by a notion that he did this by way of self-vindication to them, he premises, “For do I now persuade men?” He well knew how, on a fitting occasion, to correct his disciples, in a grave and lofty tone: assuredly he had other sources whence to demonstrate the truth of his preaching,—by signs and miracles, by dangers, by prisons, by daily deaths, by hunger and thirst, by nakedness, and the like. Now however that he is speaking not of false apostles, but of the true, who had shared these very perils, he employs another method. For when his discourse was pointed towards false apostles, he institutes a comparison by bringing forward his endurance of danger, saying, “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.” (2 Cor. xi. 23.) But now he speaks of his former manner of life and says,

Ver. 11, 12. “For22    [The reading γάρ (Rev. Ver. W. H.) gives a reason for what is implied in the sentence preceding, while δέ, an inferior reading, means ‘but,’ (now to enter more particularly on the subject of my letter) “I make known to you.”—So Meyer.—G.A.] I make known to you, brethren, as touching the Gospel which was preached by me that it is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.”

You observe how sedulously he affirms that he was taught of Christ, who Himself, without human intervention, condescended to reveal to him all knowledge. And if he were asked for his proof that God Himself thus immediately revealed to him these ineffable mysteries, he would instance his former manner of life, arguing that his conversion would not have been so sudden, had it not been by Divine revelation. For when men have been vehement and eager on the contrary side, their conviction, if it is effected by human means, requires much time and ingenuity. It is clear therefore that he, whose conversion is sudden, and who has been sobered in the very height of his madness, must have been vouchsafed a Divine revelation and teaching, and so have at once arrived at complete sanity. On this account he is obliged to relate his former life, and to call the Galatians as witnesses of past events. That the Only-Begotten Son of God had Himself from heaven vouchsafed to call me, says he, you who were not present, could not know, but that I was a persecutor you do know. For my violence even reached your ears, and the distance between Palestine and Galatia is so great, that the report would not have extended thither, had not my acts exceeded all bounds and endurance. Wherefore he says,

Ver. 13. “For23    [“He begins here the historical proof that he was indebted for his gospel to the revelation he had mentioned.”—Meyer.   “My early education was such that no human agency could have brought the change (from Judaism to Christianity). It required a direct interposition from God.”—Lightfoot.—G.A.] ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of it.”

Observe how he shrinks not from aggravating each point; not saying simply that he “persecuted” but “beyond measure,” and not only “persecuted” but “made havoc of it,” which signifies an attempt to extinguish, to pull down, to destroy, to annihilate, the Church.

Ver. 14. “And I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”

To obviate the notion that his persecution arose from passion, vain-glory, or enmity, he shows that he was actuated by zeal, not indeed “according to knowledge,” (Rom. x. 2.) still by a zealous admiration of the traditions of his fathers. This is his argument;24    [Chrysostom’s interpretation of this passage is hardly sustained by the context. It is not a proof of his sincerity that he is adducing; he is continuing and completing the statement that his former manner of life was proof that he could not have received the Gospel from man.—G.A.]—if my efforts against the Church sprung not from human motives, but from religious though mistaken zeal, why should I be actuated by vain-glory, now that I am contending for the Church, and have embraced the truth? If it was not this motive, but a godly zeal, which possessed me when I was in error, much more now that I have come to know the truth, ought I to be free from such a suspicion. As soon as I passed over to the doctrines of the Church I shook off my Jewish prejudices, manifesting on that side a zeal still more ardent; and this is a proof that my conversion is sincere, and that the zeal which possesses me is from above. What other inducement could I have to make such a change, and to barter honor for contempt, repose for peril, security for distress? none surely but the love of truth.

Ver. 15, 16. “But when it was the good pleasure of God, Who separated me, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”

Here his object is to show, that it was by some secret providence that he was left for a time to himself. For if he was set apart from his mother’s womb to be an Apostle and to be called to that ministry, yet was not actually called till that juncture, which summons he instantly obeyed, it is evident that God had some hidden reason for this delay. What this purpose was, you are perhaps eager to learn from me, and primarily, why he was not called with the twelve. But in order not to protract this discourse by digressing from that which is more pressing, I must entreat your love not to require all things from me, but to search for it by yourselves, and to beg of God to reveal it to you. Moreover I partly discussed this subject when I discoursed before you on the change of his name from Saul to Paul; which, if you have forgotten, you will fully gather from a perusal of that volume.25    [Vid. Hom. de Mut. Nom. t. iii. p. 98. Ed. Ben.—G.A.] At present let us pursue the thread of our discourse, and consider the proof he now adduces that no natural event had befallen him,—that God Himself had providentially ordered the occurrence.

“And called me through His grace.”

God indeed says that He called him on account of his excellent capacity, as He said to Ananias, “for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings,” (Acts ix. 15.) that is to say, capable of service, and the accomplishment of great deeds. God gives this as the reason for his call. But he himself everywhere ascribes it to grace, and to God’s inexpressible mercy, as in the words, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy,” not that I was sufficient or even serviceable, but “that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all His long-suffering, for an ensample of them which should hereafter believe on Him unto eternal life.” (1 Tim. i. 16.) Behold his overflowing humility; I obtained mercy, says he, that no one might despair, when the worst of men had shared His bounty. For this is the force of the words, “that He might show forth all His long-suffering for an ensample of them which should hereafter believe on Him.”

“To reveal His Son26    [“In his pre-Christian blindness Paul had known Christ κατὰ σάρκα, 2 Cor. v. 16.”—Meyer.—G.A.] in me.”

Christ says in another place, “No one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him.” (Luke x. 22.) You observe that the Father reveals the Son, and the Son the Father; so it is as to Their glory, the Son glorifies the Father, and the Father the Son; “glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee,” and, “as I have glorified Thee.” (John xvii. 1, 4.) But why does he say, “to reveal His Son in me,” and not “to me?” it is to signify, that he had not only been instructed in the faith by words, but that he was richly endowed with the Spirit;—that the revelation had enlightened his whole soul, and that he had Christ speaking within him.27    [“Εν ἐμοί means ‘in my mind,’ ‘in my consciousness.’ 2 Cor. iv. 6,” in opposition to Lightfoot who says, “‘In me’ means, as the context shows, not a revelation made inwardly to himself, but through him to others.”—G.A.]

“That I might preach Him among the Gentiles.” For not only his faith, but his election to the Apostolic office proceeded from God. The object, says he, of His thus specially revealing Himself to me, was not only that I might myself behold Him, but that I might also manifest Him to others. And he says not merely, “others,” but, “that I might preach Him among the Gentiles,” thus touching beforehand on that great ground of his defence which lay in the respective characters of the disciples; for it was necessary to preach differently to the Jews and to the heathen.

“Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”

Here he alludes to the Apostles, naming them after their physical nature; however, that he may have meant to include all mankind, I shall not deny.28    [“Flesh and blood,” is twice used elsewhere (Mat. 16: 17 and Eph. 6: 12,) to denote “weak human nature,” “feeble man.”—G.A.]

Ver. 17. “Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me.”

These words weighed by themselves seem to breath an arrogant spirit, and to be foreign to the Apostolic temper. For to give one’s suffrage for one’s self, and to admit no man to share one’s counsel, is a sign of folly. It is said, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him;” (Prov. xxvi. 12.) and, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isa. v. 21.) and Paul himself in another place, “Be not wise in your own conceits.” (Rom. xii. 16.) Surely one who had been thus taught, and had thus admonished others, would not fall into such an error, even were he an ordinary man; much less then Paul himself. Nevertheless, as I said, this expression nakedly considered may easily prove a snare and offence to many hearers. But if the cause of it is subjoined, all will applaud and admire the speaker. This then let us do; for it is not the right course to weigh the mere words, nor examine the language by itself, as many errors will be the consequence, but to attend to the intention of the writer. And unless we pursue this method in our own discourses, and examine into the mind of the speaker, we shall make many enemies, and every thing will be thrown into disorder. Nor is this confined to words, but the same result will follow, if this rule is not observed in actions. For surgeons often cut and break certain of the bones; so do robbers; yet it would be miserable indeed not to be able to distinguish one from the other. Again, homicides and martyrs, when tortured, suffer the same pangs, yet is the difference between them great. Unless we attend to this rule, we shall not be able to discriminate in these matters; but shall call Elijah and Samuel and Phineas homicides, and Abraham a son-slayer; that is, if we go about to scrutinize the bare facts, without taking into account the intention of the agents. Let us then inquire into the intention of Paul in thus writing, let us consider his scope, and general deportment towards the Apostles, that we may arrive at his present meaning. Neither formerly, nor in this case, did he speak with a view of disparaging the Apostles or of extolling himself, (how so? when he included himself under his anathema?) but always in order to guard the integrity of the Gospel. Since the troublers of the Church said that they ought to obey the Apostles who suffered these observances, and not Paul who forbade them, and hence the Judaizing heresy had gradually crept in, it was necessary for him manfully to resist them, from a desire of repressing the arrogance of those who improperly exalted themselves, and not of speaking ill of the Apostles. And therefore he says, “I conferred not with flesh and blood;” for it would have been extremely absurd for one who had been taught by God, afterwards to refer himself to men. For it is right that he who learns from men should in turn take men as his counsellors. But he to whom that divine and blessed voice had been vouchsafed, and who had been fully instructed by Him that possesses all the treasures of wisdom, wherefore should he afterwards confer with men? It were meet that he should teach, not be taught by them. Therefore he thus spoke, not arrogantly, but to exhibit the dignity of his own commission. “Neither went I up,” says he, “to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me.” Because they were continually repeating that the Apostles were before him, and were called before him, he says, “I went not up to them.” Had it been needful for him to communicate with them, He, who revealed to him his commission, would have given him this injunction. Is it true, however, that he did not go up thither?29    [Paul here simply means he did not go to Jerusalem before he began preaching.—G.A.] nay, he went up, and not merely so, but in order to learn somewhat of them. When a question arose on our present subject in the city of Antioch, in the Church which had from the beginning shown so much zeal, and it was discussed whether the Gentile believers ought to be circumcised, or were under no necessity to undergo the rite, this very Paul himself and Silas30    Of those who were sent with St. Paul from Antioch to Jerusalem, Barnabas is the only one named in Acts xv. 2, and it would rather seem from Ver. 22, that Silas was then at Jerusalem, and did not accompany St. Paul till his return from thence. went up. How is it then that he says, I went not up, nor conferred? First, because he went not up of his own accord, but was sent by others; next, because he came not to learn, but to bring others over. For he was from the first of that opinion, which the Apostles subsequently ratified, that circumcision was unnecessary. But when these persons deemed him unworthy of credit and applied to those at Jerusalem he went up not to be farther instructed, but to convince the gain-sayers that those at Jerusalem agreed with him. Thus he perceived from the first the fitting line of conduct, and needed no teacher, but, primarily and before any discussion, maintained without wavering what the Apostles, after much discussion, (Acts xv. 2, 7.) subsequently ratified. This Luke shows by his own account, that Paul argued much at length with them on this subject before he went to Jerusalem. But since the brethren chose to be informed on this subject, by those at Jerusalem, he went up on their own account, not on his own. And his expression, “I went not up,” signifies that he neither went at the outset of his teaching, nor for the purpose of being instructed. Both are implied by the phrase, “Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” He says not, “I conferred,” merely, but, “immediately;” and his subsequent journey was not to gain any additional instruction.

Ver. 17. “But I went away into Arabia.”

Behold a fervent soul! he longed to occupy regions not yet tilled, but lying in a wild state. Had he remained with the Apostles, as he had nothing to learn, his preaching would have been straitened, for it behooved them to spread the word every where. Thus this blessed man, fervent in spirit, straightway undertook to teach wild barbarians,31    [“This journey is to be looked upon not as having for its object a quiet preparation, but as a first experiment of extraneous ministry.”—Meyer. Farrar, Life and Work of Paul. Ch. xi. takes the opposite view and says, “No one, I think, who reads this passage attentively can deny that it gives the impression of an intentional retirement from human intercourse.” So also Schaff, who says it was a sort of substitute for the three years intercourse with Jesus enjoyed by the other Apostles. Ap. Ch. 236.—G.A.] choosing a life full of battle and labor. Having said, “I went into Arabia,” he adds, “and again I returned unto Damascus.” Here observe his humility; he speaks not of his successes, nor of whom or of how many he instructed. Yet such was his zeal immediately on his baptism, that he confounded the Jews, and so exasperated them, that they and the Greeks lay in wait for him with a view to kill him. This would not have been the case, had he not greatly added to the numbers of the faithful; since they were vanquished in doctrine, they had recourse to murder, which was a manifest sign of Paul’s superiority. But Christ suffered him not to be put to death, preserving him for his mission. Of these successes, however, he says nothing, and so in all his discourses, his motive is not ambition, nor to be honored more highly than the Apostles, nor because he is mortified at being lightly esteemed, but it is a fear lest any detriment should accrue to his mission. For he calls himself, “one born out of due time,” and, “the first of sinners,” and “the last of the Apostles,” and, “not meet to be called an Apostle.” And this he said, who had labored more than all of them; which is real humility; for he who, conscious of no excellence, speaks humbly of himself, is candid but not humble; but to say so after such trophies, is to be practised in self-control.

Ver. 17. “And again I returned unto Damascus.”

But what great things did he not probably achieve in this city? for he tells us that the governor under Aretas the king set guards about the whole of it, hoping to entrap this blessed man. Which is a proof of the strongest kind that he was violently persecuted by the Jews. Here, however, he says nothing of this, but mentioning his arrival and departure is silent concerning the events which there occurred, nor would he have mentioned them in the place I have referred to, (2 Cor. xi. 32.) had not circumstances required their narration.

Ver. 18. “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem32    [First visit to Jerusalem, Acts ix. 26. For a reconciliation of the two accounts of this visit see Handy Com. on Gal. Excursus A (by Sanday).—G.A.] to visit Cephas.”

What can be more lowly than such a soul? After such successes, wanting nothing of Peter, not even his assent, but being of equal dignity with him, (for at present I will say no more,) he comes to him as his elder and superior. And the only object of this journey was to visit Peter; thus he pays due respect to the Apostles, and esteems himself not only not their better but not their equal. Which is plain from this journey, for Paul was induced to visit Peter by the same feeling from which many of our brethren sojourn with holy men: or rather by a humbler feeling for they do so for their own benefit, but this blessed man, not for his own instruction or correction, but merely for the sake of beholding and honoring Peter by his presence. He says, “to visit Peter;” he does not say to see, (ἰδεῖν,) but to visit and survey, (ἰστορῆσαι,) a word which those, who seek to become acquainted with great and splendid cities, apply to themselves. Worthy of such trouble did he consider the very sight of Peter; and this appears from the Acts of the Apostles also. (Acts xxi. 17, 18etc.) For on his arrival at Jerusalem, on another occasion, after having converted many Gentiles, and, with labors far surpassing the rest, reformed and brought to Christ Pamphylia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, and all nations in that quarter of the world, he first addresses himself with great humility to James, as to his elder and superior. Next he submits to his counsel, and that counsel contrary to this Epistle. “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them which have believed; therefore shave thy head, and purify thyself.” (Acts xxi. 20 f.) Accordingly he shaved his head, and observed all the Jewish ceremonies; for where the Gospel was not affected, he was the humblest of all men. But where by such humility he saw any injured, he gave up that undue exercise of it, for that was no longer to be humble but to outrage and destroy the disciples.

Ver. 18. “And tarried with him fifteen days.”

To take a journey on account of him was a mark of respect; but to remain so many days, of friendship and the most earnest affection.33    [And yet it was not long enough to have allowed his receiving his doctrine and Gospel from Peter. Besides he had already been preaching three years.—G.A.]

Ver. 19. “But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James,34    “Thus this James is distinguished from the circle of the twelve (1 Cor. xv. 8.) to which Peter belonged but included in the number of Apostles in the wider sense, which explains the merely supplementary mention of this Apostle.”—Meyer. the Lord’s brother.”

See what great friends he was with Peter especially; on his account he left his home, and with him he tarried. This I frequently repeat, and desire you to remember, that no one, when he hears what this Apostle seems to have spoken against Peter, may conceive a suspicion of him. He premises this, that when he says, “I resisted Peter,” no one may suppose that these words imply enmity and contention; for he honored and loved his person more than all and took this journey for his sake only, not for any of the others. “But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James.” “I saw him merely, I did not learn from him,” he means. But observe how honorably he mentions him, he says not “James” merely, but adds this illustrious title, so free is he from all envy. Had he only wished to point out whom he meant, he might have shown this by another appellation, and called him the son of Cleophas, as the Evangelist does.35    [Compare John xix. 25 with Matt. xxvii. 56. But see Lightfoot’s learned and exhaustive essay on “The Brethren of the Lord,” Com. on Gal. pp. 88–127, and Schaff, Church History, I, 272–275.—G.A.] But as he considered that he had a share in the august titles of the Apostles, he exalts himself by honoring James; and this he does by calling him “the Lord’s brother,” although he was not by birth His brother, but only so reputed. Yet this did not deter him from giving the title; and in many other instances he displays towards all the Apostles that noble disposition, which beseemed him.

Ver. 20. “Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.”

Observe throughout the transparent humility of this holy soul; his earnestness in his own vindication is as great as if he had to render an account of his deeds, and was pleading for his life in a court of justice.

Ver. 21. “Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.”36    [Compare Acts ix. 30, where Luke says the brethren took Paul to Cæsarea, and thence despatched him to Tarsus (in Cilicia).—G.A.]

After his interview with Peter, he resumes his preaching and the task which lay before him, avoiding Judæa, both because of his mission being to the Gentiles, and of his unwillingness to “build upon another man’s foundation.” Wherefore there was not even a chance meeting, as appears from what follows.

Ver. 22, 23. “And I was still unknown by face unto the Churches of Judæa; but they only heard say, he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc.”

What modesty in thus again mentioning the facts of his persecuting and laying waste the Church, and in thus making infamous his former life, while he passes over the illustrious deeds he was about to achieve! He might have told, had he wished it, all his successes, but he mentions none of these and stepping with one word over a vast expanse, he says merely, “I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;” and, “they had heard, that he, which once persecuted us, now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc.” The purpose of the words, “I was unknown to the Churches of Judæa,” is to show, that so far from preaching to them the necessity of circumcision, he was not known to them even by sight.

Ver. 24. “And they glorified God in me.” See here again how accurately he observes the rule of his humility; he says not, they admired me, they applauded or were astonished at me, but ascribes all to Divine grace by the words, “they glorified God in me.”

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΓΑΛΑΤΑΣ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ.ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Αʹ. Παῦλος ἀπόστολος, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοὶ, ταῖς Ἐκκλη σίαις τῆς Γαλατίας: χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. αʹ. Πολλοῦ τὸ προοίμιον γέμει θυμοῦ καὶ μεγάλου φρονήματος: οὐ τὸ προοίμιον δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἡ Ἐπιστολή. Τὸ γὰρ μετ' ἐπιεικείας ἀεὶ τοῖς μαθητευομένοις διαλέγεσθαι, κἂν σφοδρότητος δέωνται, οὐ διδασκάλου, ἀλλὰ λυμεῶνος ἂν εἴη καὶ πολεμίου. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος πολλὰ προσηνῶς τοῖς μαθηταῖς διαλεχθεὶς, ἔστιν ὅπου καὶ αὐστηρότερον κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ νῦν μὲν μακαρίζει, νῦν δὲ ἐπιτιμᾷ. Τῷ γοῦν Πέτρῳ εἰπὼν, Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βὰρ Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὰ θεμέλια τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ τῆς ὁμολογίας αὐτοῦ καταθήσεσθαι, μετ' οὐ πολὺ τῶν λόγων τούτων φησίν: Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ, σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ: καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ, Ἀκμὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε; Καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς φόβον ἐνέθηκεν, ὡς καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν μετὰ γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος λαλοῦντα, περὶ μὲν τῆς τροφῆς ὑπέμνησαν, Οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐτόλμησεν εἰπεῖν, Τί λαλεῖς, ἢ Τί ζητεῖς μετ' αὐτῆς; Ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ κατ' ἴχνος τοῦ διδασκάλου βαίνων, ἐποίκιλε τὸν λόγον πρὸς τὴν τῶν μαθητευομένων χρείαν, νῦν μὲν καίων καὶ τέμνων, νῦν δὲ προσηνῆ φάρμακα ἐπιτιθείς. Καὶ Κορινθίοις μὲν ἔλεγε: Τί θέλετε, ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραότητος; Γαλάταις δὲ, Ὢ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται: καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεύτερον κέχρηται ταύτῃ τῇ ἐπιτιμήσει. Καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει δὲ καθαπτόμενος αὐτῶν ἔλεγε, Κόπους μοι μηδεὶς παρεχέτω. Καὶ θεραπεύει δὲ πάλιν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω: καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα. Ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν θυμοῦ ἡ Ἐπιστολὴ γέμει, παντί που δῆλον καὶ ἐκ πρώτης ἀναγνώσεως. Δεῖ δὲ εἰπεῖν τί τὸ παροξῦναν αὐτὸν κατὰ τῶν μαθητῶν: οὐ γὰρ μικρὸν τοῦτο οὐδὲ εὐτελὲς, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὸς τοσαύτῃ ἂν ἐχρήσατο τῇ καταφορᾷ. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσι παροξύνεσθαι, μικροψύχων ἀνδρῶν καὶ σκληρῶν καὶ ταλαιπώρων: ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις ἀναπίπτειν, νωθροτέρων καὶ ὑπνηλοτέρων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος τοιοῦτος. Τί οὖν τὸ κινῆσαν ἦν αὐτὸν ἁμάρτημα; Μέγα καὶ ὑπέρογκον, καὶ ὃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντας αὐτοὺς ἠλλοτρίου, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς προϊὼν ἔλεγεν: Ἰδὲ ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει: καὶ πάλιν, Οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε. Τί ποτ' οὖν τοῦτό ἐστι; δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸ σαφέστερον ἀναπλῶσαι. Οἱ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πιστεύσαντες, ὁμοῦ μὲν τῇ προλήψει τοῦ Ἰουδαϊσμοῦ κατεχόμενοι, ὁμοῦ δὲ κενοδοξίᾳ μεθύοντες, καὶ βουλόμενοι ἀξίωμα διδασκάλων ἑαυτοῖς περιθεῖναι, ἐλθόντες εἰς τὸ Γαλατῶν ἔθνος ἐδίδασκον, ὅτι δεῖ περιτέμνεσθαι καὶ σάββατα καὶ νουμηνίας τηρεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι Παύλου ταῦτα ἀναιροῦντος. Οἱ γὰρ περὶ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην ταῦτα, φησὶν, οὐ κωλύουσιν, οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν ἀποστόλων, οἱ μετὰ Χριστοῦ γενόμενοι. Καὶ ἀληθῶς οὐκ ἐκώλυον: ἀλλ' οὐ δογματίζοντες τοῦτο ἐποίουν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ συγκαταβαίνοντες τῶν ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πιστευόντων. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος εἰς τὰ ἔθνη κηρύττων, οὐ χρείαν εἶχε τῆς συγκαταβάσεως ταύτης. Ὅτε οὖν ἐν Ἰουδαίᾳ γέγονε, καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ συγκαταβάσει ἐχρήσατο ταύτῃ. Ἀλλ' οἱ ἀπατῶντες, οὐ λέγοντες τὰς αἰτίας, δι' ἃς καὶ οὗτος καὶ ἐκεῖνοι συγκατέβαινον, παρελογίζοντο τοὺς ἀφελεστέρους λέγοντες, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ Παύλου ἀνέχεσθαι: οὗτος γὰρ χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ἐφάνη, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πρῶτοι οἱ περὶ Πέτρον: καὶ οὗτος μὲν μαθητὴς τῶν ἀποστόλων γέγονεν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ: καὶ οὗτος μὲν μόνος, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πολλοὶ, καὶ στῦλοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Καὶ εἰς ὑπόκρισιν δὲ αὐτὸν διέβαλλον λέγοντες, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ ἀναιρῶν περιτομὴν, φαίνεται καὶ τούτοις χρησάμενος ἀλλαχοῦ, καὶ ἑτέρως μὲν ὑμῖν, ἑτέρως δὲ ἄλλοις κηρύττων. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐμπρησθὲν εἶδεν ἔθνος ὁλόκληρον, καὶ πυρὰν χαλεπὴν κατὰ τῆς τῶν Γαλατῶν ἁφθεῖσαν Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν σαλευομένην καὶ κινδυνεύουσαν καταπεσεῖν, τοῦτο μὲν ὑπὸ θυμοῦ δικαίου, τοῦτο δὲ ὑπὸ ἀθυμίας κατεχόμενος: καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἤθελον παρεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι, καὶ ἀλλάξαι τὴν φωνήν μου), γράφει τὴν Ἐπιστολὴν, πρὸς ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἀπολογούμενος. Καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἀποτείνεται, ὃ διορύττοντες αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπόληψιν ἔλεγον, ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, αὐτὸς δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων γέγονε μαθητής. Διὸ καὶ οὕτως ἤρξατο: Παῦλος ἀπόστολος, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων. Ἔλεγον γὰρ, ὃ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, οἱ ἀπατεῶνες ἐκεῖνοι, ὅτι τῶν ἀποστόλων ἁπάντων ἔσχατος οὗτός ἐστι, καὶ παρ' ἐκείνων ἐδιδάχθη. Πέτρος γὰρ καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐκλήθησαν πρῶτοι, καὶ κορυφαῖοι τῶν μαθητῶν εἰσι, καὶ τὰ δόγματα ἐδέξαντο παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ χρὴ μᾶλλον ἐκείνοις πείθεσθαι, ἢ τούτῳ: ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐ κωλύουσι περιτέμνεσθαι, οὐδὲ νόμον μὴ τηρεῖν. βʹ. Καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες, καὶ τοῦτον μὲν καθαιροῦντες, ἐκείνων δὲ τὴν δόξαν ἐπαίροντες, οὐχ ἵνα ἐκείνους ἐγκωμιάσωσιν, ἀλλὰ ἵνα Γαλάτας ἀπατήσωσιν, ἔπειθον ἀκαίρως τῷ νόμῳ προσέχειν. Εἰκότως οὖν οὕτως ἤρξατο. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὴν μὲν αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἐξηυτέλιζον, παρὰ ἀνθρώπων αὐτὴν λέγοντες εἶναι, τὴν δὲ Πέτρου παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως πρὸς τοῦτο ἵσταται, λέγων ἀπόστολος εἶναι, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων. Ἐβάπτισε μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν Ἀνανίας, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνος τῆς πλάνης ἀπήλλαξεν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν πίστιν ἤγαγεν: ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἄνωθεν ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν θαυμαστὴν ἐκείνην πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφῆκε φωνὴν, δι' ἧς αὐτὸν ἐσαγήνευσε. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ Πέτρον καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν ἐκείνου, περιπατῶν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν ἐκάλεσε, τὸν δὲ Παῦλον εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνελθών. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐδεήθησαν ἐκεῖνοι δευτέρας φωνῆς, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ: οὕτω καὶ οὗτος ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης κλήσεως πρὸς ἄκραν ἀνέβη κορυφὴν, ὁμοῦ τε βαπτισάμενος καὶ πόλεμον ἄσπονδον πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἑλόμενος, καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα τῶν ἀποστόλων πλεονεκτήσας: Περισσότερον γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐκοπίασα, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ τέως οὐ κατασκευάζει τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἀγαπᾷ τὰ ἴσα φέρων. Τὸ γὰρ σπουδαζόμενον ἦν αὐτῷ, οὐ δεῖξαι ἑαυτὸν ἐκείνων ὑπερέχοντα, ἀλλὰ τῆς πλάνης καταλῦσαι τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν, Οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, κοινὸν ἁπάντων ἦν: ἄνωθεν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν ἔχει τὸ κήρυγμα: τὸ δὲ, Οὐ δι' ἀνθρώπων, ἴδιον τῶν ἀποστόλων: οὐ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπων ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ. Διὰ τί δὲ μὴ τῆς κλήσεως ἐμνημόνευσε καὶ εἶπε, Παῦλος κλητὸς οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀποστολῆς; Ὅτι περὶ τούτου πᾶς ἦν ὁ λόγος. Ἔλεγον γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγκεχειρίσθαι τὴν διδασκαλίαν ταύτην, καὶ δεῖν ἐκείνοις αὐτὸν ἕπεσθαι. Ὅτι δὲ οὐχ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἐνεχειρίσθη, ὁ Λουκᾶς ἐδήλωσεν, εἰπών: Λειτουργούντων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ νηστευόντων τῷ Κυρίῳ, εἶπε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀφορίσατε δή μοι τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Βαρνάβαν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι μία ἐξουσία Υἱοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος. Ἀποσταλεὶς γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φησιν ἀπεστάλθαι. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δηλοῖ, τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Πνεύματι λογιζόμενος. Τοῖς γὰρ Μιλησίων διαλεγόμενος πρεσβυτέροις, Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς, φησὶ, καὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἔθετο ὑμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ποιμένας καὶ ἐπισκόπους: καίτοι γε ἐν ἄλλῃ φησὶν Ἐπιστολῇ, Οὓς μὲν ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, εἶτα ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους. Οὕτως ἀδιαφόρως κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ, τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγων εἶναι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἐμφράττει δὲ καὶ ἄλλως τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὰ στόματα, λέγων, Διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ Πατρός. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν λέξιν ταύτην ὡς ἐλάττονα οὖσαν προσεῤῥῖφθαι τῷ Υἱῷ φασιν, ὅρα τί ποιεῖ: ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτὴν τίθησιν, διδάσκων ἡμᾶς μὴ νομοθετεῖν τῇ ἀῤῥήτῳ φύσει, μηδὲ μέτρα θεότητος ὁρίζειν μέσον Υἱοῦ καὶ Πατρός: εἰπὼν γὰρ, Διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ Θεοῦ Πατρός. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς μνημονεύσας εἶπε τὸ, Δι' οὗ, ἴσως ἂν καὶ ἐσοφίσαντο, λέγοντες ἁρμόζειν τῷ Πατρὶ τὸ, Δι' οὗ, τῷ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναφέρεσθαι: νῦν δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μνημονεύσας ὁμοῦ καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ κοινῇ θεὶς τὴν λέξιν, οὐκέτι τὸν λόγον τοῦτον χώραν ἀφίησιν ἔχειν. Οὐ γὰρ, ὡς τὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ νῦν ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ Πατρὶ, τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδεμίαν αὕτη ἡ λέξις οὐσίας διαφορὰν εἰσάγει. Τί δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐπινοοῦντές τινα ἐλάττωσιν διὰ τὸ εἰς ὄνομα Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βαπτίζεσθαι, ἐνταῦθα ἂν εἴποιεν; Εἰ γὰρ καταδεέστερος ὁ Υἱὸς διὰ τὸ μετὰ Πατέρα κεῖσθαι, ἐπειδὴ ἐνταῦθα ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀρξάμενος ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐπὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἔρχεται, τί ἂν εἴποιεν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμεν βλάσφημον. Οὐ γὰρ χρὴ φιλονεικοῦντας ἐκείνοις τῆς ἀληθείας ἐξίστασθαι, ἀλλὰ, κἂν μυριάκις μαίνωνται, τὰ μέτρα τῆς εὐσεβείας ἡμᾶς διατηρεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμεν ἡμεῖς μείζονα τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρῶτον ἐμνημόνευσεν: ἐσχάτης γὰρ τοῦτο μανίας, καὶ ἀσεβείας ὑπερβολὴ πάσης: οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ διὰ τὸ μετὰ τὸν Πατέρα κεῖσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐλάττοντα χρὴ νομίζειν ἡμᾶς εἶναι τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱόν. Τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Τί ποιεῖς, ὦ Παῦλε; ἰουδαΐζοντας ἀνθρώπους ἐνάγειν εἰς πίστιν θέλων, οὐδὲν τῶν μεγάλων ἐκείνων καὶ λαμπρῶν ἄγεις εἰς μέσον, οἷον ὃ πρὸς Φιλιππησίους ἔγραφες, λέγων, ὅτι Ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ: ὃ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιστέλλων Ἑβραίοις ἀνεβόησας, ὅτι Ἀπαύγασμά ἐστι τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ ὃ ἐκ προοιμίων ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς ἀνεφώνησεν, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος: ὃ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους πολλάκις αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς φθεγγόμενος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ δύναται τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχει. Τούτων οὐδὲν λέγεις, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἀφεὶς, τῆς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίας μέμνησαι, σταυρὸν εἰς μέσον φέρων καὶ νέκρωσιν; Ναὶ, φησίν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁ λόγος ἦν μηδὲν μέγα περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φανταζομένους, καλῶς εἶχεν ἐκεῖνα λέγειν: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὡς μέλλοντες τιμωρεῖσθαι, εἰ ἀποσταῖεν τοῦ νόμου, στασιάζουσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, διὰ τοῦτο πράγματος μέμνηται, δι' οὗ πᾶσαν ἐκβάλλει τοῦ νόμου τὴν χρείαν, λέγω δὴ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως εὐεργεσίαν ἐγγινομένην ἅπασι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὅτι ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπῆρχε, καὶ τὸ ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, δεικνύντος μὲν ἦν τὴν τοῦ Λόγου θεότητα, οὐδὲν δὲ τοιοῦτον εἰς τὸ παρὸν συμβαλλομένου: τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀναμιμνήσκοντος ἦν τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εὐεργεσίας τὸ κεφάλαιον, ὅπερ οὐ μικρὸν εἰς τὸ προκείμενον αὐτῷ συνετέλει. Καὶ γὰρ εἰώθασιν οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐχ οὕτω τοῖς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλωσύνην παριστῶσι προσέχειν λόγοις, ὡς τοῖς τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίαν ἐνδεικνυμένοις. Διόπερ ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνα εἰπεῖν περὶ τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς εὐεργεσίας γεγενημένης ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον. γʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπιπηδῶσιν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ λέγοντες, Ἰδοὺ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐγείρει τὸν Υἱόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅπαξ νενοσήκασι, πρὸς μὲν τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν δογμάτων ἐθελοκωφοῦσι, τὰ δὲ ταπεινὰ, καὶ ἢ τῆς σαρκὸς ἕνεκεν εἰρημένα οὕτως, ἢ διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τιμὴν, ἢ δι' ἄλλην τινὰ οἰκονομίαν, ταῦτα ἐκλέγουσι, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὰ ἐξετάζοντες, ἐπηρεάζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς (οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμι τῇ Γραφῇ): οὓς ἡδέως ἂν ἐροίμην. τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα λέγουσιν; ἆρα ἀσθενῆ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι βουλόμενοι, καὶ οὐκ ἰσχύοντα πρὸς ἑνὸς ἀνάστασιν σώματος; Καὶ μὴν ἡ εἰς αὐτὸν πίστις καὶ τὰς σκιὰς τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστευόντων ἀνιστᾷν ἐποίησε νεκρούς. Εἶτα οἱ μὲν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύοντες ἄνθρωποι, θνητοὶ μὲν ὄντες, ἔτι ἀπὸ σκιᾶς μόνης τῶν πηλίνων σωμάτων ἐκείνων, καὶ ἱματίων τοῖς σώμασι τούτοις περικειμένων νεκροὺς ἤγειραν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἀναστῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσε, καὶ πῶς οὐ φανερὰ αὕτη μανία, καὶ παρανοίας ἐπίτασις; Οὐκ ἤκουσας αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν; καὶ πάλιν, Ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Πατὴρ αὐτὸν ἐγηγερκέναι λέγεται; Ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιεῖν, ἅπερ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τιμῆς ἕνεκεν εἴρηται τοῦτο, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἀσθενείας. Καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοί. Τί δήποτε οὐδαμοῦ τοῦτο προσέθηκεν ἐπιστέλλων; Ἢ γὰρ τὸ αὐτοῦ ὄνομα τίθησι μόνον, ἢ δύο καὶ τριῶν ἑτέρων ὀνομαστί: ἐνταῦθα δὲ πλῆθος ὁλόκληρον ἔθηκε: διόπερ οὐδὲ ὀνομαστί τινος ἐμνημόνευσε. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Διέβαλλον αὐτὸν ὡς μόνον ταῦτα κηρύττοντα, καὶ καινοτομίαν τινὰ τοῖς δόγμασιν ἐπεισάγοντα. Θέλων οὖν ἀνελεῖν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑποψίαν, καὶ δεῖξαι ὅτι πολλοὺς ἔχει τῆς γνώμης κοινωνοὺς, συνέταξε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, δηλῶν ὅτι ἅπερ γράφει, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων γράφει γνώμης. Ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας. Οὐ γὰρ μίαν πόλιν, οὐδὲ δύο καὶ τρεῖς, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρον τῶν Γαλατῶν τὸ ἔθνος αὕτη τῆς πλάνης ἐπενέμετο ἡ πυρά. Θέα δέ μοι καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν πολλὴν ἀγανάκτησιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς, οὐδὲ, Τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις, ἀλλὰ, Ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας. Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν σφόδρα βαρυθυμοῦντος καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην ἐνδεικνυμένου, τὸ μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης, μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτοὺς καλέσαι, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς συνόδου μόνης: καὶ μηδὲ προσθεῖναι, Ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς Ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ συνάψαι ἐκ προοιμίων τὸ στασιάζον ἐπείγεται: διὸ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τέθεικεν, ἐντρέπων αὐτοὺς, καὶ συνάγων εἰς ἕν. Οἱ γὰρ εἰς πολλὰ διῃρημένοι μέρη, οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο ταύτῃ καλεῖσθαι τῇ προσηγορίᾳ: τὸ γὰρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὄνομα, συμφωνίας ὄνομα καὶ ὁμονοίας ἐστί. Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πανταχοῦ μὲν ἀναγκαίως τοῦτο τίθησι, μάλιστα δὲ Γαλάταις ἀποστέλλων νῦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῆς χάριτος ἐκινδύνευον ἐκπεσεῖν, ἐπεύχεται αὐτοῖς ταύτην ἀνακτήσασθαι πάλιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἑαυτοὺς ἐξεπολέμωσαν, παρακαλεῖ τὸν Θεὸν πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοὺς ἐπαναγαγεῖν εἰρήνην. Θεοῦ Πατρός. Κἀντεῦθεν πάλιν ῥᾳδίως ἁλίσκονται οἱ αἱρετικοί. Ἐπειδὴ γάρ φασι τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν προοιμίῳ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων λέγοντα, Καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος, διὰ τοῦτο χωρὶς ἄρθρου τεθεικέναι τοῦτο, ὡς ἐλάττονα εἰσάγοντα τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ πάλιν τὸν Παῦλον ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν τὸν Υἱὸν λέγοντα, οὐ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰρηκέναι, διὰ τὸ χωρὶς ἄρθρου καὶ αὐτὸ κεῖσθαι: τί ἂν εἴποιεν ἐνταῦθα, τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος, οὐκ, Ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, Ἀλλ', Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρός; Πατέρα δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὸν Θεὸν καλεῖ, οὐ κολακεύων αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα καθαπτόμενος, καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκων τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἧς ἐγένοντο υἱοί. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου, ἀλλὰ διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας ταύτης ἠξιώθησαν τῆς τιμῆς. Διὰ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ καὶ ἐν προοιμίοις κατασπείρει τὰ ἴχνη τῆς εὐεργεσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, μονονουχὶ λέγων: Οἱ δοῦλοι, καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ, καὶ οἱ ἠλλοτριωμένοι, πόθεν ἐξαίφνης Πατέρα καλεῖτε τὸν Θεόν; μὴ ὁ νόμος ὑμῖν ταύτην ἐχαρίσατο τὴν συγγένειαν; τί τοίνυν καταλιπόντες τὸν εἰς ταύτην ὑμᾶς τὴν ἐγγύτητα ἀγαγόντα, προστρέχετε πάλιν τῷ παιδαγωγῷ; Οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἱκανὰ τὰ ὀνόματα, αὐτοῖς ταῦτα τὴν εὐεργεσίαν ἐνδείξασθαι. Τὸ γὰρ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξεταζόμενον τὴν εὐεργεσίαν πᾶσαν ἐνδείκνυται. Καὶ γὰρ Ἰησοῦς διὰ τοῦτο κληθήσεται, φησὶν, Ὅτι αὐτὸς σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν: καὶ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ προσηγορία τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀνέμνησε χρίσεως. Τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. δʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ δουλικὴν ὑπέμεινε διακονίαν οὐδὲ ἠναγκασμένην, οὐδὲ ἐξεδόθη παρά τινος, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἔδωκεν, ὥστε, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς Ἰωάννου λέγοντος, ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν αὑτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Πατὴρ, μὴ ἐλαττώσῃς τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς διὰ τοῦτο, μηδὲ ἀνθρώπινόν τι ὑποπτεύσῃς. Κἂν γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ λέγηται δεδωκέναι, οὐχ ἵνα δουλικὴν διακονίαν ἐννοήσῃς, τοῦτο λέγεται, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ τοῦτο δοκοῦν ἦν, ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ Παῦλος ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών: Κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν: οὐ κατ' ἐπιταγὴν, ἀλλὰ Κατὰ τὸ θέλημα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἓν θέλημα Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, ἅπερ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐβούλετο, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἤθελεν. Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. Μυρίοις, φησὶν, ἑαυτοὺς περιεπείραμεν κακοῖς, καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἦμεν ὑπεύθυνοι κολάσεως. Καὶ ὁ μὲν νόμος οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπήλλαξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατεδίκασε, τὸ μὲν ἁμάρτημα φανερώτερον καθιστὰς, ἐλευθερῶσαι δὲ οὐκ ἰσχύων, οὐδὲ παῦσαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν: ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦτο δυνατὸν ἐποίησε, τάς τε ἁμαρτίας λύσας, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐν τάξει φίλων καταστήσας, καὶ μυρία ἕτερα χαρισάμενος ἀγαθά. Εἶτά φησιν: Ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ. Πάλιν ἕτεροι ταύτης τῆς λέξεως ἐπιλαμβάνονται αἱρετικοὶ, τὸν παρόντα βίον διαβάλλοντες, καὶ τὴν Παύλου μαρτυρίαν παράγοντες. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φασὶ, τὸν ἐνεστῶτα αἰῶνα πονηρὸν εἴρηκε. Καὶ τί ποτέ ἐστιν αἰὼν, εἰπέ μοι; Χρόνος ἐν ἡμέραις καὶ ὥραις. Τί οὖν; τὸ διάστημα τῶν ἡμερῶν πονηρὸν, καὶ ὁ τοῦ ἡλίου δρόμος; Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἂν εἴποι τοῦτό ποτε, κἂν εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀλογίαν κατενεχθείη. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν χρόνον εἶπε, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν πονηρὰν ἐκάλεσε. Καὶ μὴν τὰ ῥήματα οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἵσταται ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων, ἀφ' ὧν τὴν κατηγορίαν ἔπλεξας, ἀλλὰ σαυτῷ τέμνεις ἑρμηνείας ὁδόν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμῖν συγχωρήσεις ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον, ὅσῳ καὶ εὐσεβῆ τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ λόγον ἔχοντα. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποιμεν; Ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν κακῶν γένοιτ' ἂν αἴτιόν ποτε τῶν καλῶν, τῶν δὲ μυρίων στεφάνων καὶ τοσούτων μισθῶν ὁ παρὼν βίος αἴτιός ἐστιν. Αὐτὸς γοῦν οὗτος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐπαινεῖ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς αὐτὸν λέγων οὕτως: Εἰ δὲ τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ, τοῦτό μοι καρπὸς ἔργου, καὶ τί αἱρήσομαι, οὐ γνωρίζω. Καὶ αἵρεσιν δὲ ἑαυτῷ προσθεὶς τοῦ ζῇν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ τοῦ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, προτιμᾷ τὴν ἐνταῦθα διαγωγήν. Εἰ δὲ πονηρὸς ἦν, οὔτ' ἂν ἐκεῖνος ταῦτα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ εἶπεν, οὔτ' ἂν ἄλλος τις εἰς ἀρετὴν αὐτῷ καταχρήσασθαι ἠδυνήθη, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐσπούδαζε. Κακίᾳ γὰρ οὐκ ἄν ποτε εἰς ἀγαθόν τις χρήσαιτο, οὐ πορνείᾳ εἰς σωφροσύνην, οὐ φθόνῳ εἰς φιλοφροσύνην. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγῃ Παῦλος περὶ τοῦ φρονήματος τῆς σαρκὸς, ὅτι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται: τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ἡ κακία μένουσα κακία οὐ δύναται εἶναι ἀρετή. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς πονηρὸν αἰῶνα, τὰς πράξεις νόει τὰς πονηρὰς, τὴν προαίρεσιν τὴν διεφθαρμένην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα ἀποκτείνῃ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐξαγάγῃ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, ἦλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀφεὶς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, παρασκευάσῃ τῆς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διαγωγῆς γενέσθαι ἀξίους. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε: Καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσὶ, καὶ ἐγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι. Καὶ πάλιν, Οὐκ ἐρωτῶ, ἵνα ἄρῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, ἀλλ' ἵνα τηρήσῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ, τουτέστιν, ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνέχῃ τούτων, ἀλλ' ἔτι πονηρὰν τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν εἶναι φὴς, μὴ ἐγκάλει τοῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἀναιροῦσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τῆς κακίας ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξάγων, οὐκ ἐγκλημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ στεφάνων ἄξιος: οὕτω καὶ ὁ βιαίῳ θανάτῳ, καὶ δι' ἀγχόνης ἢ δι' ἄλλων τινῶν καταλύων τὸ ζῇν, οὐκ ἂν εἴη δίκαιος ἐγκαλεῖσθαι καθ' ὑμᾶς. Νῦν δὲ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς τοιούτους κολάζει τῶν ἀνδροφόνων μᾶλλον, καὶ πάντες βδελυττόμεθα, καὶ εἰκότως. Εἰ γὰρ ἑτέρους ἀνελεῖν οὐ καλὸν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἑαυτόν. Εἰ δὲ πονηρὸν ἡ παροῦσα ζωὴ, τοὺς ἀνδροφόνους στεφανοῦν ἔδει, ὅτι τῆς πονηρίας ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάττουσι. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, καὶ ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν, ἑαυτοῖς περιπίπτουσι. Τὸν γὰρ ἥλιον Θεὸν εἶναι φάσκοντες, καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον τὴν σελήνην, καὶ προσκυνοῦντες ὡς τῶν πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν αἰτίους, ἑαυτοῖς μαχόμενοι λέγουσιν. Ἡ γὰρ τούτων χρεία καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἄστρων πρὸς ἕτερον μὲν οὐδὲν, εἰς δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμῖν συντελεῖ ζωὴν, τὴν, ὡς αὐτοί φασι, πονηρὰν, σώματα τρέφουσά τε, καὶ καταυγάζουσα, καὶ καρποὺς εἰς ἀκμὴν ἄγουσα. Πῶς οὖν πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν τοῦ πονηροῦ βίου τοσαύτην εἰσάγουσι λειτουργίαν οὗτοι οἱ καθ' ὑμᾶς θεοί; Ἀλλ' οὔτε τὰ ἄστρα θεοὶ, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλ' ἔργα Θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν πεποιημένα χρείαν, οὔτε ὁ κόσμος πονηρός. Εἰ δὲ λέγοις μοι τοὺς ἀνδροφόνους καὶ τοὺς μοιχοὺς καὶ τοὺς τυμβωρύχους, οὐδὲν ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν παρόντα βίον: οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ ζωῆς ταῦτα ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλὰ τῆς διεφθαρμένης προαιρέσεως. Εἰ γὰρ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς ἦν ταῦτα, ὡς πάντως αὐτῇ συγκεκληρωμένα, οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐλεύθερος ἦν οὐδὲ καθαρός. Ὅρα γοῦν τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ ζωῆς τὰ ἰδιώματα οὐδένα δυνάμενον διαφυγεῖν. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι; Τὸ ἐσθίειν, τὸ πίνειν, τὸ καθεύδειν, τὸ αὔξεσθαι, τὸ πεινῇν, τὸ διψῇν, τὸ γεννᾶσθαι, τὸ τελευτᾷν, καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἐοικότα ἅπαντα. Καὶ τούτων οὐδεὶς ἂν περιγένοιτο, οὐχ ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὐ δίκαιος, οὐ βασιλεὺς, οὐκ ἰδιώτης, ἀλλὰ πάντες ὑποκείμεθα τῇ τῆς φύσεως ἀνάγκῃ. Οὕτω καὶ τὸ φαῦλα πράττειν, εἰ τῇ φύσει τῆς ζωῆς ἦν συγκεκληρωμένον, οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτὰ διέφυγεν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνα. Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὅτι σπάνιοι οἱ κατορθοῦντες. Τῶν γὰρ φυσικῶν ἀναγκῶν οὐδένα εὑρήσεις περιγεγενημένον ποτέ. Ὥστε ἕως ἂν εὑρίσκηται καὶ εἷς κατωρθωκὼς ἀρετὴν, οὐδὲν ὁ λόγος παραβλαβήσεται. Τί φὴς, ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε; πονηρὰ ἡ παροῦσα ζωὴ, ἐν ᾗ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπέγνωμεν, ἐν ᾗ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων φιλοσοφοῦμεν, ἐν ᾗ γεγόναμεν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἄγγελοι, καὶ ταῖς ἄνω συγχορεύομεν δυνάμεσι; Καὶ ποίαν ἑτέραν ζητήσωμεν τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑμῶν γνώμης καὶ διεστραμμένης ἀπόδειξιν; εʹ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Παῦλος εἶπε, φησὶν, αἰῶνα πονηρὸν τὸν ἐνεστῶτα; Τῇ κοινῇ κεχρημένος συνηθείᾳ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰώθαμεν λέγειν, Κακὴν ἔσχον ἡμέραν, οὐ τὸν καιρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἢ τὴν περίστασιν διαβάλλοντες. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὰς πονηρὰς διαβάλλων προαιρέσεις, τῇ συνηθείᾳ κέχρηται: καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἡμᾶς ἀπήλλαξεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἠσφαλίσατο. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ἐκεῖνο ἐδήλωσε: τῷ δὲ προσθεῖναι, Ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ, τὴν πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφάλειαν ἐνέφηνεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἓν ἠσθένει, ἡ δὲ χάρις πρὸς ἀμφότερα δυνατὴ γέγονε. Κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐνόμιζον ἐκεῖνοι τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακούειν, ὡς δεδωκότος τὸν νόμον, καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν, εἰ τὴν Παλαιὰν ἀφέντες προσέλθοιεν τῇ Καινῇ: καὶ ταύτην αὐτῶν διορθοῦται τὴν ὑπόνοιαν λέγων, ὅτι καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ ταῦτα δοκεῖ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Πατρὸς, ἀλλὰ, Πατρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ συνεχῶς αὐτὸ τίθησιν, ἐντρέπων αὐτοὺς τῷ δεικνύναι, ὅτι Πατέρα ἡμῶν τὸν αὑτοῦ Πατέρα πεποίηκεν ὁ Χριστός. Ὧ| ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Καὶ τοῦτο καινὸν καὶ παρηλλαγμένον. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἀμὴν, οὐδαμοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ προοιμίοις Ἐπιστολῆς εὑρίσκομεν κείμενον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλά. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ δεικνὺς, ὅτι καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα ἱκανὴν εἶχε κατηγορίαν Γαλατῶν, καὶ ὅτι ὁ λόγος ἀπηρτισμένος ἐστὶ, τὸ προοίμιον τοῦτο τέθεικε. Τὰ γὰρ φανερὰ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων οὐ πολλῆς δεῖται κατασκευῆς. Ἀναμνήσας γὰρ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων λυτρώσεως, τῆς πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφαλείας, τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς γνώμης, τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ βουλῆς, τῆς χάριτος, τῆς εἰρήνης, πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς δωρεᾶς, εἰς δοξολογίαν τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισεν. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον τοῦτο πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐκπλήττεσθαι τῆς δωρεᾶς τὸ μέγεθος, τῆς χάριτος τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ ἐννοεῖν τίνας ὄντας τί εἰργάσατο ὁ Θεὸς ἀθρόον καὶ ἐν ἀκαριαίᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ: ἅπερ τῷ λόγῳ παραστῆσαι μὴ δυνάμενος, εἰς δοξολογίαν κατέλυσεν, οὐ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτῷ δυνατὴν εὐφημίαν ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀναπέμπων ἁπάσης. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σφοδρότερον τῷ μετὰ ταῦτα κέχρηται λόγῳ, καθάπερ πυρωθεὶς σφοδρῶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἐννοίας τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ὧ| ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμὴν, ἀπὸ σφοδροτέρας ἄρχεται ἐπιπλήξεως, οὕτω λέγων: Θαυμάζω, ὅτι οὕτω ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ, εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ τῆς τοῦ νόμου φυλακῆς ὑπώπτευον ἀρέσκειν τῷ Πατρὶ, καθάπερ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Χριστὸν διώκοντες, τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐνδείκνυται, ὅτι οὐ τὸν Χριστὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Πατέρα παροξύνουσι τοῦτο πράττοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς μεθίστασθε τοῦτο ποιοῦντες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ Παλαιὰ οὐ τοῦ Πατρὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ χάρις οὐ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ πάντα κοινά: Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἐμά ἐστιν. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀφίστανται, δύο ἐγκλήματα τίθησι, καὶ τὴν μετάθεσιν, καὶ τὴν ταχίστην μετάθεσιν. Καὶ μὴν τὸ ἐναντίον κατηγορίας ἄξιον, τὸ μετὰ πολὺν ἀποστῆναι χρόνον: ἀλλὰ ἐνταῦθα περὶ ἀπάτης ὁ λόγος. Ἄξιος μὲν γὰρ ἐγκλημάτων καὶ ὁ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον: ὁ δὲ ἐκ πρώτης προσβολῆς, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀκροβολισμοῖς καταπεσὼν, ἐσχάτης ἀσθενείας ἐξήνεγκεν ὑπόδειγμα, ὃ καὶ τούτοις ἐγκαλεῖ, λέγων: Τί τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐδὲ χρόνου δέονται οἱ ἀπατῶντες ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἡ πρώτη προσαγωγὴ ἀρκεῖ πάντας ὑμᾶς καταστρέψασθαι καὶ ἑλεῖν; καὶ ποίαν ἂν σχοίητε συγγνώμην; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ φίλων τοῦτο γινόμενον, ἔγκλημα, καὶ ὁ τοὺς προτέρους καὶ χρησίμους τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφεὶς καταγνώσεως ἄξιος, ὁ Θεοῦ καλοῦντος ἀποπηδῶν, ἐννόησον ὅσης ἂν εἴη τιμωρίας ὑπεύθυνος. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ, Θαυμάζω, οὐ μόνον ἐντρέπων αὐτοὺς λέγει, ὅτι μετὰ τοσαύτην δωρεὰν, μετὰ τοσαύτην ἁμαρτημάτων συγχώρησιν καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβολὴν, εἰς ζυγὸν δουλείας ηὐτομόλησαν: ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ δεικνὺς, οἵαν ἔχει περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπόνοιαν, ὅτι μεγάλην τινὰ καὶ ἐσπουδασμένην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ τῶν τυχόντων ἐνόμιζεν αὐτοὺς εἶναι καὶ εὐεξαπατήτων, ἐθαύμασεν ἂν ἐπὶ τῷ γενομένῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν γνησίων, φησὶ, καὶ πολλὰ πεπονηκότων ὑμεῖς, διὰ τοῦτο θαυμάζω: ὅπερ ἱκανὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι, καὶ πρὸς τὰ πρότερα ἐπαναγαγεῖν. Ὃ καὶ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ Ἐπιστολῇ δηλῶν ἔλεγε: Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ. Μετατίθεσθε. Οὐκ εἶπε, μετέθεσθε, ἀλλὰ, Μετατίθεσθε, τουτέστιν, Οὐδέπω πιστεύω, οὐδὲ ἡγοῦμαι ἀπηρτισμένην εἶναι τὴν ἀπάτην: ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐστὶν ἀνακτωμένου. Τοῦτο οὖν σαφέστερον προειπὼν, λέγει, Ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε. Ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ. Ἡ μὲν κλῆσίς ἐστι τοῦ Πατρὸς, τῆς δὲ κλήσεως ἡ αἰτία, τοῦ Υἱοῦ: αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ καταλλάξας καὶ δωρεὰν δούς: οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἐσώθημεν. Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἐκείνου, καὶ ἐκεῖνα τούτου: Τὰ γὰρ ἐμὰ σὰ, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου μετατίθεσθε, ἀλλ', Ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ. Ὃ γὰρ ἦν φρικωδέστερον, καὶ μᾶλλον ἱκανὸν αὐτοὺς καταπλῆξαι, τοῦτο τέθεικεν. Οἱ γὰρ ἀπατᾷν αὐτοὺς βουλόμενοι, οὐκ ἀθρόως τοῦτο ἐποίουν, ἀλλ' ἠρέμα αὐτοὺς τῶν πραγμάτων μεθιστῶντες, τῶν ὀνομάτων οὐ μεθίστων. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου πλάνη, μὴ γυμνὰ προτιθέναι τὰ θήρατρα. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἶπον, Ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς πλάνους ἂν καὶ λυμεῶνας ἐφυλάξαντο: νῦν δὲ ἀφέντες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ πίστει τέως, καὶ τῇ πλάνῃ εὐαγγελίου ἐπιτιθέντες ὄνομα, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας διώρυττον τὴν οἰκοδομὴν, τῶν εἰρημένων, καθάπερ τινῶν παραπετασμάτων, διὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτων κρυπτόντων τοὺς τοιχωρύχους. Ϛʹ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εὐαγγέλιον ἐκάλουν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀπάτην, καλῶς αὐτὸς καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα μάχεται, καὶ παῤῥησιάζεται, λέγων: Εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο. Καλῶς: οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλο. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὅπερ πάσχουσιν οἱ νοσοῦντες ἐκ τῶν ὑγιεινῶν βλαπτόμενοι σιτίων, τοῦτο καὶ Μαρκίωνες ἐνταῦθα ἔπαθον. Ἐπελάβετο γὰρ τῶν εἰρημένων εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἰδοὺ καὶ Παῦλος εἶπεν, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ παραδέχονται τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς ἅπαντας, ἀλλ' ἕνα μόνον, καὶ αὐτὸν περικόψαντες καὶ συγχέαντες, ὡς ἐβούλοντο. Τί οὖν, ὅταν αὐτὸς λέγῃ, Κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιόν μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ἔστι μὲν οὖν πολλοῦ γέλωτος τὰ εἰρημένα παρ' αὐτῶν: πλὴν κἂν καταγέλαστα ᾖ, ἀναγκαῖον διελέγχειν αὐτὰ διὰ τοὺς εὐκόλως ἀπατωμένους. Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Ὅτι κἂν μυρίοι γράφωσιν Εὐαγγέλια, τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ γράφωσιν, ἕν ἐστι τὰ πολλὰ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν γραφόντων πλήθους εἰς τὸ ἓν εἶναι παραβλαβήσεται: ὥσπερ οὖν κἂν εἷς ᾖ πάλιν ὁ γράφων, καὶ ἐναντία λέγῃ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἓν τὰ γραφόμενα. Τὸ γὰρ ἓν καὶ οὐχ ἓν, οὐ τῷ τῶν γραφόντων ἀριθμῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταυτότητι καὶ ἑτερότητι τῶν λεγομένων κρίνεται. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τὰ τεσσάρων Εὐαγγέλια ἕν ἐστιν Εὐαγγέλιον. Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ τέσσαρες τὰ αὐτὰ λέγωσιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο διὰ τὴν τῶν προσώπων διαφορὰν, ἀλλ' ἓν διὰ τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων συμφωνίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος περὶ ἀριθμοῦ λέγει νῦν, ἀλλὰ περὶ διαφωνίας τῶν εἰρημένων. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλο τὸ Ματθαίου, καὶ τὸ Λουκᾶ ἕτερον κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ἐγγεγραμμένων καὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ἀκρίβειαν, καλῶς ἐπιλαμβάνονται τοῦ λόγου: εἰ δὲ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, παυσάσθωσαν ἀνοηταίνοντες, καὶ ταῦτα προσποιούμενοι ἀγνοεῖν, ἃ καὶ τοῖς ἄγαν παισίν ἐστι κατάδηλα. Εἰ μή τινές εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς, καὶ θέλοντες ἀνατρέψαι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τουτέστιν, Ἕως ἂν ὑγιαίνητε τὸν νοῦν, οὐκ ἐπιγνώσεσθε ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, ἕως ἂν ὀρθὰ βλέπητε, καὶ μὴ διεστραμμένα, τὰ μὴ ὄντα φανταζόμενοι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς διαταραχθεὶς ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων ὁρᾷ: οὕτω καὶ νοῦς τῇ τῶν πονηρῶν συγχύσει θολούμενος λογισμῶν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάσχειν εἴωθε. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ μαινόμενοι ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων φαντάζονται. Ἀλλ' αὕτη χαλεπωτέρα ἐκείνης ἡ μανία, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς νοητοῖς τὴν βλάβην ἐργαζομένη, οὐκ ἐν τῇ κόρῃ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὀμμάτων, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς διανοίας τὴν καταστροφὴν κατασκευάζουσα. Καὶ θέλοντες ἀνατρέψαι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ μὴν μίαν μόνην, ἢ δευτέραν ἐπεισῆγον ἐντολὴν, τὴν τῆς περιτομῆς, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἡμερῶν μόνον καινοτομοῦντες: ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς ὅτι μικρὸν παραποιηθὲν, τὸ ὅλον λυμαίνεται, εἶπε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀνατρέπεσθαι. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βασιλικοῖς νομίσμασιν ὁ μικρὸν τοῦ χαρακτῆρος περικόψας, ὅλον τὸ νόμισμα κίβδηλον εἰργάσατο: οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῆς ὑγιοῦς πίστεως καὶ τὸ βραχύτατον ἀνατρέψας, τῷ παντὶ λυμαίνεται, ἐπὶ τὰ χείρονα προϊὼν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς. Ποῦ τοίνυν εἰσὶν οἱ φιλονεικίας ἡμᾶς κρίνοντες ἕνεκεν τῆς πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς διαστάσεως; ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες οὐδὲν μέσον εἶναι ἡμῶν κἀκείνων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ φιλαρχίας τὴν διαφορὰν γίνεσθαι; Ἀκουέτωσαν τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀνέτρεψαν οἱ καὶ μικρόν τι καινοτομοῦντες. Οὗτοι δὲ οὔ τι μικρόν: πῶς γὰρ, οἱ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ κτίσμα λέγοντες; Οὐκ ἤκουσας ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ἐν σαββάτῳ ξύλα τις συλλέξας, καὶ μίαν ἐντολὴν παραβὰς, καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτην μεγίστην, ἐσχάτην δέδωκε δίκην; καὶ Ὀζᾶ τὴν κιβωτὸν μέλλουσαν περιτρέπεσθαι στηρίξας, παραχρῆμα ἀπέθανεν, ὅτι μὴ προσηκούσης αὐτῷ διακονίας ἥψατο; Εἶτα σαββάτου μὲν ἡ παράβασις, καὶ τὸ τῆς κιβωτοῦ καταπιπτούσης ἅψασθαι, εἰς τοσαύτην ἤγαγε τὸν Θεὸν ἀγανάκτησιν, ὥστε μηδὲ βραχείας τυχεῖν συγγνώμης τοὺς ταῦτα τολμήσαντας: ὁ δὲ δόγματα φρικτὰ καὶ ἀπόῤῥητα λυμηνάμενος, οὗτος ἀπολογίας τεύξεται καὶ συγγνώμης; Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ πάντων αἴτιον τῶν κακῶν, τὸ μὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ἀγανακτεῖν. Διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μείζονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπεισῆλθεν, ὅτι τὰ ἐλάττονα τῆς προσηκούσης οὐ τυγχάνει διορθώσεως. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν οἱ τῶν τραυμάτων καταφρονήσαντες, πυρετοὺς ἔτεκον καὶ σηπεδόνας καὶ θάνατον: οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχῶν οἱ τῶν μικρῶν ὑπερορῶντες, τὰ μείζονα ἐπεισάγουσιν. Ὁ δεῖνα, φησὶ, περὶ τὴν νηστείαν σφάλλεται, καὶ οὐδὲν μέγα ἐστίν: ἕτερος τῇ πίστει μὲν ἔῤῥωται τῇ ὀρθῇ, ὑποκρινόμενος δὲ διὰ τὸν καιρὸν, τὴν παῤῥησίαν προέδωκεν: οὐδὲ τοῦτό τι μέγα δεινόν. Ἄλλος παροξυνθεὶς, ἠπείλησεν ἀποστήσεσθαι τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως: ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἄξιον τιμωρίας: ὀργῇ γὰρ ἥμαρτε, φησὶ, καὶ θυμῷ. Καὶ μυρία τις ἂν εὕροι τοιαῦτα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἁμαρτήματα ἐπεισαγόμενα ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ καταγέλαστοι γεγόναμεν καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησιν, εἰς μυρία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σχιζομένης. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποπηδᾷν τῶν θείων θεσμῶν ἐπιχειροῦντες καὶ μικρόν τι παρακινεῖν, τῆς προσηκούσης ἐτύγχανον ἐπιτιμήσεως, οὐκ ἂν ὁ παρὼν ἐτέχθη λοιμὸς, καὶ τοσοῦτος χειμὼν τὰς Ἐκκλησίας κατέλαβεν. Ὅρα γοῦν ὁ Παῦλος πῶς τὴν περιτομὴν ἀνατροπὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καλεῖ. ζʹ: Νῦν δέ εἰσι πολλοὶ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν Ἰουδαίοις νηστεύοντες ἡμέραν, καὶ σάββατα τηροῦντες ὁμοίως: καὶ φέρομεν γενναίως, μᾶλλον δὲ ταλαιπώρως. Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ Ἰουδαίων; καὶ γὰρ Ἑλλήνων ἔθη πολλὰ παρά τισι τῶν ἡμετέρων φυλάττεται, κλῃδονισμοὶ καὶ οἰωνισμοὶ καὶ σύμβολα καὶ ἡμερῶν παρατηρήσεις, καὶ ἡ περὶ τὴν γένεσιν σπουδὴ, καὶ τὰ πάσης ἀσεβείας γέμοντα γραμματεῖα, ἃ τικτομένων τῶν παιδίων εὐθέως ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς ἑαυτῶν συντιθέασι κεφαλῆς, ἐκ προοιμίων παιδεύοντες καταλύειν τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πόνους, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν πεπλανημένην τυραννίδα τῆς εἱμαρμένης τό γε αὐτῶν ἄγοντες μέρος. Εἰ δὲ τοὺς περιτεμνομένους οὐδὲν ὁ Χριστὸς ὠφελεῖ, τοὺς τοσαῦτα ἐπισυρομένους κακὰ, τί τοσοῦτον ἡ πίστις εἰς σωτηρίαν ὠφελήσει λοιπόν; Καίτοι ἡ περιτομὴ παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένη ἦν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ ἐλυμαίνετο τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ τελουμένη, πάντα ἔπραττεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὥστε αὐτὴν περικόψαι. Εἶτα ὁ μὲν Παῦλος ὑπὲρ ἐθῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν τοσαύτην ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἀκαίρως ἐφυλάττετο, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν περικόψομεν συνήθειαν; καὶ ποίαν σχοίημεν ἀπολογίαν; Διὰ ταῦτα ἐν ταραχαῖς καὶ θορύβοις νῦν τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ οἱ μαθητευόμενοι φρονήματος ἐμπλησθέντες πολλοῦ τὴν τάξιν ἀνέτρεψαν, καὶ τὰ ἄνω κάτω γεγένηται. Κἂν μικρόν τις ἐγκαλέσῃ, διαπτύουσι τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ἐπειδὴ κακῶς ἡμεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐπαιδοτριβήσαμεν. Καίτοι γε εἰ καὶ μοχθηρότεροι, καὶ μυρίων ἦσαν κακῶν γέμοντες οἱ προεστῶτες, οὐδὲ οὕτω τῷ μαθητῇ θέμις ἦν παρακούειν. Εἰ γὰρ περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων διδασκάλων φησὶν, ὅτι ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν, ἀκούεσθαι δίκαιοι παρὰ τῶν μαθητευομένων ἂν εἶεν, καίτοι γε ἔργα εἶχον οὕτω πονηρὰ, ὡς τοὺς μαθητὰς κελεῦσαι μὴ ζηλοῦν, μηδὲ μιμεῖσθαι ἐκεῖνα, τίνος ἂν εἶεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι οἱ τοὺς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προέδρους τοὺς τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ μετ' ἐπιεικείας ζῶντας διαπτύοντες καὶ καταπατοῦντες; Εἰ γὰρ ἀλλήλους κρίνειν οὐ θέμις, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς διδασκάλους. Ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐγὼ, ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Ὅρα σύνεσιν ἀποστολικήν. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ, ὅτι κενοδοξίας ἕνεκεν τὰ ἴδια συγκροτεῖ δόγματα, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀνεθεμάτισεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ εἰς ἀξιώματα κατέφευγον, Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀγγέλων ἐμνήσθη. Μὴ γάρ μοι Ἰάκωβον εἴπῃς, φησὶ, καὶ Ἰωάννην: κἂν γὰρ τῶν πρώτων ἀγγέλων ᾖ τις τῶν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ διαφθείρων τὸ κήρυγμα, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἄγγελοι ἐκαλοῦντο: Χείλη γὰρ ἱερέως φυλάξεται γνῶσιν, καὶ νόμον ἐκζητήσουσιν ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἄγγελος Κυρίου παντοκράτορός ἐστιν: ἵνα μὴ τούτους νομίσῃς ἀγγέλους λέγεσθαι νῦν, τῇ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ προσθήκῃ τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις ᾐνίξατο. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν ἐναντία καταγγέλλωσιν, ἢ ἀνατρέπωσι τὸ πᾶν, ἀλλὰ, Κἂν μικρόν τι εὐαγγελίζωνται παρ' ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα, κἂν τὸ τυχὸν παρακινήσωσιν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστωσαν. Ὡς προείρηκα, καὶ ἄρτι πάλιν λέγω. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς θυμοῦ τὰ ῥήματα εἶναι, ἢ ὑπερβολικῶς εἰρῆσθαι, ἢ κατὰ συναρπαγήν τινα, δεύτερον τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν τίθησιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ θυμῷ τι προαχθεὶς εἰπεῖν, κἂν μεταγνοίη ταχέως: ὁ δὲ δεύτερον τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων, δείκνυσιν ὅτι κρίνας οὕτως εἶπε, καὶ πρότερον ἐν τῇ γνώμῃ κυρώσας, οὕτως ἐξήνεγκε τὸ λεχθέν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀβραὰμ ἀξιούμενος πέμψαι τὸν Λάζαρον ἔλεγεν, Ἔχουσι Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας: ἐὰν μὴ ἐκείνων ἀκούσωσιν, οὐδὲ νεκρῶν ἀνισταμένων ἀκούσονται. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτὸν εἰσάγει λέγοντα ὁ Χριστὸς, δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ νεκρῶν ἐγειρομένων ἀξιοπιστοτέρας εἶναι βούλεται τὰς Γραφάς. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος (ὅταν δὲ Παῦλον εἴπω, τὸν Χριστὸν πάλιν λέγω: αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ κινῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν) καὶ ἀγγέλων ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβαινόντων αὐτὰς προτίθησι: καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Οἱ γὰρ ἄγγελοι, κἂν μεγάλοι, ἀλλὰ δοῦλοι καὶ ὑπουργοὶ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες: αἱ δὲ Γραφαὶ πᾶσαι οὐ παρὰ δούλων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ Δεσπότου γραφεῖσαι ἐπέμφθησαν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν: Ἐάν τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίσηται παρ' ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὁ δεῖνα καὶ ὁ δεῖνα, συνετῶς σφόδρα καὶ ἀνεπαχθῶς. Τί γὰρ ἔδει λοιπὸν ὀνομάτων μνησθῆναι τὸν τοσαύτῃ χρησάμενον ὑπερβολῇ, ὡς καὶ ἅπαντας, καὶ τοὺς ἄνω καὶ τοὺς κάτω, περιλαβεῖν; Διὰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀναθεματίσαι, πᾶν ἀξίωμα περιέγραψε: διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν, πᾶσαν οἰκειότητα καὶ γνησιότητα. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι Οἱ συναπόστολοί σου καὶ ἑταῖροι ταῦτα λέγουσιν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐμαυτοῦ φείδομαι τοιαῦτα κηρύττοντος. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐχ ὡς καταγινώσκων τῶν ἀποστόλων φησὶν, οὐδὲ ὡς παραβαινόντων τὸ κήρυγμα, ἄπαγε: Εἴτε γὰρ ἡμεῖς, εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, φησὶν, οὕτω κηρύσσομεν: ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι ἀξίωμα προσώπων οὐ προσίεται, ὅταν περὶ ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος ᾖ. Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω, ἢ τὸν Θεόν; ἢ ζητῶ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν; Εἰ γὰρ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἠπάτων, φησὶ, ταῦτα λέγων, μὴ τὸν Θεὸν δύναμαι παραλογίσασθαι τὸν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας εἰδότα, καὶ ᾧ πᾶσά μοι σπουδὴ διαπαντὸς ἀρέσκειν; Εἶδες φρόνημα ἀποστολικόν; εἶδες ὕψος εὐαγγελικόν; Τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν, Οὐχ ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀφορμὴν διδόντες ὑμῖν καυχήματος: καὶ πάλιν, Ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ, ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μαθηταῖς διδάσκαλος ὢν ἀναγκάζεται ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ὑπομένει μὲν αὐτὸ, δυσανασχετεῖ δὲ, οὐ δι' ἀπόνοιαν, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εὐκολίαν τῆς τῶν ἀπατωμένων γνώμης, καὶ τὸ μὴ σφόδρα παρ' αὐτοῖς πιστεύεσθαι. Διὸ καὶ ταῦτα εἴρηκε, μονονουχὶ λέγων: Μὴ γὰρ πρὸς ὑμᾶς μοι ὁ λόγος ἐστί; μὴ γὰρ ἄνθρωποί μοι δικάζειν μέλλουσι; πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ἐστὶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐθυνῶν τῶν ἐκεῖ ἅπαντα πράττομεν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἰς τοσοῦτον ἤλθομεν ἀθλιότητος, ὡς μέλλοντες ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ πάντων Δεσπότῃ ὑπὲρ ὧν κηρύττομεν, διαφθείρειν τὰ δόγματα. ηʹ. Ὥστε ὁμοῦ μὲν ἀπολογούμενος, ὁμοῦ δὲ αὐτῶν κατεξανιστάμενος, ταῦτα τέθεικε. Τοὺς γὰρ μαθητευομένους οὐ δικάζειν τοῖς διδασκάλοις, ἀλλὰ πιστεύειν προσῆκεν: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀντεστράφη ἡ τάξις, καὶ κριταὶ καθέζεσθε, φησὶ, μάθετε ὅτι τῆς μὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπολογίας οὐ πολύς μοι λόγος, τὸ δὲ πᾶν διὰ τὸν Θεὸν πράττομεν, καὶ ὥστε ἐκεῖνον περὶ δογμάτων ἀπολογήσασθαι τούτων. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπους θέλων πεῖσαι, πολλὰ ὕπουλα ποιεῖ καὶ διεστραμμένα, καὶ ἀπάτῃ κέχρηται καὶ ψεύδει, ὥστε πεῖσαι καὶ ἑλεῖν τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων γνώμην: ὁ δὲ Θεὸν πείθων, καὶ ἀρέσκειν ἐκείνῳ σπουδάζων, ἁπλῆς δεῖται διανοίας καὶ καθαρᾶς: ἀνεξαπάτητον γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ἡμεῖς, φησὶν, οὐ φιλαρχίας ἕνεκεν, οὐδὲ ὥστε μαθητὰς ἔχειν, οὐδὲ τῆς παρ' ὑμῶν ἐφιέμενοι δόξης ταῦτα γράφομεν: οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσαι ἐσπουδάκαμεν, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ. Εἰ γὰρ ἤθελον ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν, ἔτι μετὰ Ἰουδαίων ἤμην, ἔτι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐδίωκον. Ὁ δὲ ἔθνους ὁλοκλήρου καὶ οἰκείων καὶ φίλων καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ δόξης τοσαύτης καταφρονήσας, καὶ ἀνταλλαξάμενος τούτων διωγμοὺς καὶ ἔχθρας καὶ πολέμους καὶ θανάτους καθημερινοὺς, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα, ἃ λέγω νῦν, οὐ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξης ἐφιέμενος λέγω. Τοῦτο δὲ εἴρηκεν, ἐπειδὴ μέλλει καὶ τὸν πρότερον αὐτοῦ διηγεῖσθαι βίον, καὶ τὴν ἀθρόαν μεταβολὴν, καὶ δεικνύναι δι' ἐναργῶν ἀποδείξεων, ὅτι μετ' ἀληθείας μετέστη, ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν, ὅτι αὐτοῖς ἀπολογούμενος ταῦτα ποιεῖ, καὶ ἐπαρθῶσι. Διὰ τοῦτο προεῖπεν: Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω; Οἶδε γὰρ εἰς καιρὸν τὸν προσήκοντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν μαθητευομένων διόρθωσιν καὶ ὑψηλὸν καὶ μέγα τι φθέγγεσθαι. Καίτοι γε ἦν ἑτέρωθεν τὰς ἀποδείξεις ποιήσασθαι τοῦ μετὰ ἀληθείας κηρύττειν, ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων, ἀπὸ τῶν θαυμάτων, ἀπὸ τῶν κινδύνων, ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμωτηρίων, ἀπὸ τῶν καθημερινῶν θανάτων, ἀπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τοῦ δίψους, καὶ τῆς γυμνότητος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων: ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ψευδαποστόλους, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὁ λόγος ἦν αὐτῷ νῦν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ καὶ τούτων ἦσαν κεκοινωνηκότες, τῶν κινδύνων λέγω, ἑτέρωθεν μεθοδεύει τὸν λόγον: ἐπεὶ, ὅτε πρὸς τοὺς ψευδαποστόλους ἀπετείνατο, οὕτω προσάγει τὴν σύγκρισιν, τὴν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις ὑπομονὴν εἰς μέσον φέρων καὶ λέγων: Διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; (παραφρονῶν λαλῶ:) ὑπὲρ ἐγώ: ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἐν φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις: νῦν μέντοι τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν λέγει, καί φησι: Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κατὰ ἄνθρωπον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτὸ, οὐδὲ ἐδιδάχθην, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὅρα πῶς ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτο διισχυρίζεται, ὅτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγονε μαθητὴς, οὐκ ἀνθρώπου μεσιτεύοντος, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ δι' ἑαυτοῦ καταξιώσαντος ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν γνῶσιν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν. Καὶ ποία τοῖς ἀπιστοῦσιν ἀπόδειξις γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποκαλύψαι σοι δι' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ μὴ διὰ μέσου τινὸς τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα μυστήρια; Ἡ προτέρα ἀναστροφὴ, φησίν: οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ ἐκκαλύπτων, οὕτως ἀθρόαν ἔσχον μεταβολήν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων διδασκόμενοι, ὅταν σφοδροὶ καὶ διακαεῖς ὦσιν ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις, χρόνου δέονται καὶ πολλῆς τῆς μηχανῆς πρὸς τὸ πεισθῆναι: ὁ δὲ οὕτως ἀθρόον μεταστὰς, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τῆς μανίας ἀκμῇ καθαρῶς νήψας, εὔδηλον ὅτι θείας τυχὼν ὄψεως καὶ διδασκαλίας, ἀθρόον πρὸς τὴν καθαρὰν ἐπανῆλθεν ὑγείαν. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγκάζεται περὶ τῆς προτέρας αὐτοῦ διηγήσασθαι ἀναστροφῆς, καὶ μάρτυρας αὐτοὺς καλεῖ τῶν γενομένων. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ κατηξίωσεν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ με καλέσαι ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἴστε: πῶς γὰρ, οἱ μὴ παρόντες; ὅτι δὲ διώκτης ἤμην, σφόδρα ἴστε. Καὶ γὰρ μέχρις ὑμῶν ἡ σφοδρότης ἡ ἐμὴ διεδόθη: καίτοι πολὺ τὸ διάστημα Παλαιστινῶν καὶ Γαλατῶν: ὥστε οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον διέβη ἡ φήμη, εἰ μὴ πολλὴ τῶν γινομένων ὑπερβολὴ ἦν, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀφόρητος. Διὸ καί φησιν: Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἕκαστον μετὰ ἐπιτάσεως τίθησι, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται; Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐδίωκεν, ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἁπάσης, καὶ οὐκ ἐδίωκε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπόρθει, τουτέστι, σβέσαι ἐπεχείρει τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καταστρέψαι, καθελεῖν, ἀφανίσαι: τοῦτο γὰρ πορθοῦντος ἔργον. Καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. θʹ. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι θυμοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν, δείκνυσιν ὅτι ζήλῳ τὸ πᾶν ἐποίει, εἰ καὶ μὴ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ κενοδοξίας, οὐδὲ ἔχθρας ἐκδιώκων, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. Ὃ δέ φησι, τοῦτό ἐστιν: Εἰ τὰ κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας οὐ δι' ἄνθρωπον ἔπραττον, ἀλλὰ διὰ ζῆλον θεῖον, ἐσφαλμένον μὲν, ζῆλον δὲ ὅμως: πῶς νῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τρέχων καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιγνοὺς, διὰ κενοδοξίαν ταῦτα πράττω; Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ σφάλλεσθαι οὐκ ἐκράτει μου πάθος τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ' ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῆλος ἐπὶ τοῦτό με ἤγαγε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅτε τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπέγνων, πάσης ἀπηλλάχθαι τοιαύτης δίκαιος ἂν εἴην ὑπονοίας. Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ μετέστην πρὸς τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δόγματα, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀπεδυσάμην πρόληψιν Ἰουδαϊκὴν, πολλῷ πλείονα ζῆλον ἐνταῦθα ἐπιδειξάμενος: ὅπερ ἐστὶ σημεῖον τοῦ μετὰ ἀληθείας μεταστῆναι, καὶ ζήλῳ κατεχόμενον θείῳ. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, τί ἦν ἕτερον, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ παρασκευάζον γενέσθαι τοσαύτην μεταβολὴν, καὶ ὕβριν τιμῆς, καὶ κινδύνους ἀνέσεως, καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἀδείας ἀλλάξασθαι; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἔρως μόνον. Ὅτε δὲ ηὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἵνα εὐαγγελίσωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι. Ὅρα τί σπουδάζει ἐνταῦθα δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ τὸν χρόνον, ὃν ἐγκατελείφθη, διά τινα οἰκονομίαν ἀπόῤῥητον ἀφείθη. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἀφώριστο γενέσθαι ἀπόστολος, καὶ κληθῆναι πρὸς τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην: ἐκλήθη δὲ τότε, καὶ ἅμα κληθεὶς ὑπήκουσε: δῆλον ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς δι' ἀπόῤῥητόν τινα αἰτίαν ἀνεβάλλετο τέως. Τίς οὖν αὕτη ἡ οἰκονομία; Τάχα παρ' ἐμοῦ προοίμιον ἀκοῦσαι κεχήνατε, τί δήποτε οὐ μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσεν: ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τοῦ κατεπείγοντος ἀποστὰς, μακρότερον ποιήσω τὸν λόγον, παρακαλῶ καὶ ἐγὼ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην μὴ πάντα παρ' ἐμοῦ μανθάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ζητεῖν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖν ἀποκαλύπτειν. Καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ εἴρηταί τις ὑπὲρ τούτων λόγος, ὅτε περὶ τῆς μεταθέσεως αὐτοῦ τῆς προσηγορίας πρὸς ὑμᾶς διελεγόμεθα, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν Σαῦλον αὐτὸν καλούμενον, Παῦλον ἐκάλεσεν: εἰ δὲ ἐπιλέλησθε, ἐντυχόντες ἐκείνῳ τῷ βιβλίῳ, πάντα εἴσεσθε ταῦτα. Τέως δὲ τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἐχώμεθα, καὶ σκοπῶμεν πῶς πάλιν δείκνυσιν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον περὶ αὐτὸν γεγενημένον, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὸν Θεὸν τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν μετὰ πολλῆς οἰκονομοῦντα προνοίας. Καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ. Ὁ μὲν Θεὸς, φησὶ, διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτοῦ κεκληκέναι αὐτόν. Σκεῦος γὰρ ἐκλογῆς μοί ἐστι, πρὸς τὸν Ἀνανίαν ἔλεγε, τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλέων, τουτέστιν, ἱκανὸς διακονῆσαι καὶ ἔργον ἐπιδεῖξαι μέγα. Καὶ ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς κλήσεως τίθησιν: αὐτὸς δὲ πανταχοῦ τῆς χάριτος εἶναί φησι τὸ πᾶν καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀφάτου, οὕτω λέγων: Ἀλλ' ἠλεήθην, οὐχ ὅτι ἱκανὸς ἤμην, οὐδ' ὅτι ἐπιτήδειος, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐνδείξηται τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Εἶδες ταπεινοφροσύνης ὑπερβολήν; Διὰ τοῦτο ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἠλεήθην, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἀπογνῷ, ὡς τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων κακίστου φιλανθρωπίας ἀπολελαυκότος. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν, Ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐνδείξηται τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοί. Ἀλλαχοῦ δέ φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς, Οὐδεὶς γινώσκει τὸν Υἱὸν, εἰ μὴ ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐδεὶς γινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἂν βούληται ὁ Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι. Εἶδες ὅτι καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ Υἱὸν, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς Πατέρα ἀποκαλύπτει; Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δόξης, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς δοξάζει Πατέρα, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ Υἱόν: Δόξασόν με, φησὶν, ἵνα δοξάσω σε: καὶ, Καθώς σε ἐγὼ ἐδόξασα: Διὰ τί δὲ μὴ εἶπεν, ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐμοὶ, ἀλλ' Ἐν ἐμοί; Δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ διὰ ῥημάτων μόνον ἤκουσε τὰ περὶ τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοῦ πνεύματος ἐπληρώθη: τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως καταλαμπούσης αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα. Ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ πιστεῦσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ χειροτονηθῆναι αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονεν. Οὕτω γάρ μοι αὐτὸν ἀπεκάλυψεν, οὐχ ἵνα ἴδω μόνον αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ εἰς ἄλλους ἐξενέγκω. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἄλλους ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' Ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη προανακρουόμενος οὐ μικρὸν τῆς ἀπολογίας κεφάλαιον, ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν μαθητῶν προσώπου. Οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως Ἰουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι κηρύττειν ἀναγκαῖον ἦν. Εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι. Τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται, ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοὺς καλῶν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ περὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων τοῦτό φησιν, οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀντεροῦμεν. Οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους. Ταῦτα εἰ μέν τις αὐτὰ καθ' ἑαυτὰ ἐξετάσειε τὰ ῥήματα, δοκεῖ πολλῆς μεγαληγορίας γέμειν, καὶ πόῤῥω τοῦ φρονήματος εἶναι τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ ψηφίζεσθαι, καὶ μηδένα λαμβάνειν κοινωνὸν τῆς γνώμης, ἀνοίας εἶναι δοκεῖ. Εἶδον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπον φρόνιμον δόξαντα εἶναι παρ' ἑαυτῷ, ἐλπίδα δὲ ἔχει μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ ὁ ἄφρων: καὶ, Οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμονες: καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν, Μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. ιʹ. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν ὁ τοσαῦτα παρ' ἑτέρων ἀκούσας, καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ αὐτὰ παραινῶν ἑτέροις, τούτοις περιέπεσεν, οὐχ ὅτι Παῦλος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁ τυχὼν ἄνθρωπος. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφην, γυμνὴ μὲν αὕτη ἐξεταζομένη ἡ ῥῆσις καὶ ὑφορμεῖν καὶ προσίστασθαι δύναταί τισι τῶν ἀκροατῶν: ἂν δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν προσθῶμεν δι' ἣν ταῦτα ἐλέγετο, καὶ κροτήσουσι καὶ θαυμάσονται πάντες τὸν εἰρηκότα. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ποιῶμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖ τὰ ῥήματα γυμνὰ ἐξετάζειν, ἐπεὶ πολλὰ ἕψεται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα: οὐδὲ τὴν λέξιν καθ' ἑαυτὴν βασανίζειν, ἀλλὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ προσέχειν τοῦ γράφοντος. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαλέξεσιν, ἂν μὴ τούτῳ ὦμεν κεχρημένοι τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ τὴν γνώμην ἐξετάζωμεν τοῦ λέγοντος, πολλὰς ὑποστησόμεθα τὰς ἀπεχθείας, καὶ πάντα ἀνατραπήσεται. Καὶ τί δεῖ λέγειν ἐπὶ ῥημάτων, ὅπου καὶ ἐπὶ πραγμάτων ἂν μή τις τὸν κανόνα τοῦτον φυλάττῃ, πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γενήσεται; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἰατροὶ καὶ τέμνουσι καὶ διακλῶσί τινα τῶν ὀστέων, καὶ λῃσταὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦσι πολλάκις. Πόσης οὖν ἀθλιότητος ἂν εἴη, ὅταν λῃστὴν καὶ ἰατρὸν μὴ δυνηθῶμεν διελεῖν; Πάλιν ἀνδροφόνοι καὶ μάρτυρες τὰς αὐτὰς ὑπομένουσιν ὀδύνας βασανιζόμενοι: ἀλλὰ πολὺ τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρων. Κἂν μὴ τοῦτον διατηρῶμεν τὸν κανόνα, οὐ δυνησόμεθα εἰδέναι ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν ἀνδροφόνον ἐροῦμεν, καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ καὶ τὸν Φινεὲς, τὸν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ παιδοκτόνον, εἰ τὰ πράγματα μέλλοιμεν ἐξετάζειν γυμνὰ, μὴ προστιθέντες αὐτοῖς τὴν τῶν ποιούντων γνώμην. Ἐξετάσωμεν τοίνυν καὶ τοῦ Παύλου τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀφ' ἧς ταῦτα ἔγραφεν: ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦ τὸν σκοπὸν, καὶ τίς ἦν διόλου περὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ τότε εἰσόμεθα ταῦτα ἐκ ποίας ἐλέγετο γνώμης. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξευτελίζων ἐκείνους, οὔτε ἑαυτὸν ἐπαινῶν, οὔτε ταῦτα εἴρηκεν, οὔτε τὰ πρότερα: πῶς γὰρ, ὅπου καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀνεθεμάτισεν; ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὴν ἀσφάλειαν διατηρῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγον οἱ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν πορθοῦντες, ὅτι Τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἕπεσθαι δεῖ τοῖς μὴ κωλύουσι ταῦτα, οὐχὶ τῷ Παύλῳ τῷ κωλύοντι, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἡ Ἰουδαϊκὴ πλάνη εἰσήγετο, ἀναγκάζεται στῆναι πρὸς ταῦτα γενναίως, οὐ τοὺς ἀποστόλους εἰπεῖν κακῶς βουλόμενος, ἀλλὰ τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐπαιρόντων ἑαυτοὺς τὴν ἄνοιαν καταστεῖλαι βουλόμενος. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀτοπίας ἐσχάτης τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαθόντα, ἀνθρώποις ἀνατίθεσθαι λοιπόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων μανθάνων, εἰκότως ἀνθρώπους λαμβάνει κοινωνοὺς πάλιν: ὁ δὲ τῆς θείας ἐκείνης καὶ μακαρίας ἀξιωθεὶς φωνῆς, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τὸν θησαυρὸν ἔχοντος τῆς σοφίας πάντα διδαχθεὶς, τίνος ἕνεκεν λοιπὸν ἀνθρώποις ἀνετίθετο; Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος οὐ μανθάνειν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ διδάσκειν ἀνθρώπους δίκαιος ἂν εἴη. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀπονοίας ἕνεκεν ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ' ὥστε δεῖξαι τοῦ οἰκείου κηρύγματος τὸ ἀξίωμα. Οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον, φησὶ, πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτο ἔλεγον, ὅτι πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἦσαν ἐκεῖνοι, πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἐκλήθησαν, οὐκ ἀνῆλθον πρὸς ἐκείνους, φησίν. Εἰ δὲ ἐχρῆν αὐτοῖς κοινώσασθαι, ὁ ἀποκαλύψας αὐτῷ τὸ κήρυγμα, καὶ τοῦτο ἂν αὐτῷ ἐκέλευσε. Τί οὖν, οὐκ ἀνῆλθεν ἐκεῖ; Καὶ μὴν ἀνῆλθε, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μαθησόμενός τι παρ' αὐτῶν. Πότε; Ὅτε ἐν τῇ πόλει τῶν Ἀντιοχέων, τῇ τὸν πολὺν ζῆλον ἄνωθεν ἐπιδειξαμένῃ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, γέγονε περὶ αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῦ νῦν προκειμένου, καὶ ἐζήτουν πότερον χρὴ περιτέμνειν τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν πιστεύοντας, ἢ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἀναγκάζειν αὐτοὺς ὑπομένειν. Τότε ἀνῆλθεν αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ Παῦλος καὶ Σίλας. Πῶς οὖν φησιν, Οὐκ ἀνῆλθον, οὐδὲ ἀνεθέμην; Ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀνῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἀπεστάλη παρ' ἑτέρων: δεύτερον δὲ οὐ μαθησόμενος παρεγένετο, ἀλλ' ἑτέρους πείθων. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ταύτης εἴχετο τῆς γνώμης, ἣν καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκύρωσαν τὸ μὴ δεῖν περιτέμνεσθαι: ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐδόκει τέως ἀξιόπιστος εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσεῖχον, ἀνῆλθεν, οὐκ αὐτός τι εἰσόμενος πλέον, ἀλλὰ πείσων τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας, ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τούτοις ψηφίζονται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὰ δέοντα συνεώρα, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἐδεῖτο διδασκάλου, ἀλλ' ἃ μετὰ πολλὴν διάκρισιν ἔμελλον οἱ ἀπόστολοι κυροῦν, ταῦτα αὐτὸς πρὸ τῆς διακρίσεως ἄνωθεν ἔσχεν ἀκίνητα παρ' ἑαυτῷ. Καὶ ταῦτα ὁ Λουκᾶς δηλῶν, ἔλεγεν, ὅτι πολὺν καὶ μακρὸν λόγον ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀπέτεινε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Παῦλος καὶ πρὶν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐλθεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἔδοξε καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων μαθεῖν, ἀνῆλθεν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ λέγει, Οὐκ ἀνῆλθον, ἔστι κἀκεῖνο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὔτε ἐν προοιμίοις τοῦ κηρύγματος ἀνῆλθεν, οὔτε ἡνίκα ἀνῆλθεν, ἐπὶ τῷ μαθεῖν ἀνῆλθε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἀμφότερα ἐπισημαίνεται, λέγων: Εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι. Οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Οὐ προσανεθέμην, ἀλλ', Εὐθέως. Εἰ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνῆλθεν, οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τι προσλαβεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν. Ὅρα ζέουσαν ψυχήν: τοὺς τόπους ἐσπούδαζε καταλαμβάνειν τοὺς οὐδέπω γεωργηθέντας, ἀλλ' ἀγριώτερον ἔτι διακειμένους. Εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀνέμενεν, οὐδὲν ἔχων μανθάνειν, τὸ κήρυγμα ἂν ἐνεποδίσθη: ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς πανταχοῦ τὸν λόγον διαδοῦναι. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος οὗτος, καὶ ζέων τῷ πνεύματι, τῆς διδασκαλίας εὐθέως ἥπτετο ἀνθρώπων βαρβάρων καὶ ἀγρίων, βίον ἐναγώνιον αἱρούμενος, καὶ πολὺν ἔχοντα τὸν πόνον. ιαʹ. Καὶ θέα μοι τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν. Οὐ λέγει τὰ κατορθώματα αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ τίνας κατήχησε καὶ πόσους, καίτοι γε ἅμα τῷ βαπτισθῆναι τοσοῦτον ἐπεδείξατο ζῆλον, ὡς συγχέειν Ἰουδαίους, καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἤγαγε παροξυσμὸν, ὡς ἐφεδρεύειν καὶ βούλεσθαι αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας: ὅπερ οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ πολλὴν ἐποίησε τοῖς πιστεύουσι τὴν προσθήκην. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡττῶντο τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, λοιπὸν ἐπὶ φόνον ἐτρέποντο ὅπερ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου νίκης σημεῖον καθαρὸν ἦν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀποθανεῖν, τηρῶν αὐτὸν τῷ κηρύγματι: ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδέν φησι τῶν κατορθωμάτων τούτων: οὕτως ἅπερ λέγει πάντα, οὐ φιλοτιμίας ἕνεκεν λέγει, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ νομισθῆναι τῶν ἀποστόλων μείζων, οὐδὲ δακνόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ ἐξευτελίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ δεδοικὼς μή τι γένηται τῷ κηρύγματι βλάβος ἐντεῦθεν. Καὶ γὰρ ἔκτρωμα ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ, καὶ πρῶτον τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ἔσχατον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας τῆς τοιαύτης ἀνάξιον: καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ὁ πλέον πάντων κοπιάσας, ὅπερ μάλιστά ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνης. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς ἀγαθὸν, ταπεινὰ δὲ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγων, εὐγνώμων, οὐ ταπεινόφρων ἐστίν: ὁ δὲ μετὰ τοσούτους στεφάνους τοιαῦτα φθεγγόμενος, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ μετριάζειν εἰδώς. Καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα, φησὶν, εἰς Δαμασκόν. Καίτοι πόσα αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ εἰργάσθαι εἰκὸς ἦν; Περὶ γὰρ τῆς πόλεώς φησι ταύτης, ὅτι πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἀρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφύλαττε, τὸν μακάριον τοῦτον σαγηνεῦσαι βουλόμενος: ὅπερ σημεῖον μέγιστον ἦν τοῦ σφόδρα καὶ κατὰ κράτος ἐλαύνειν αὐτὸν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἐνταῦθα λέγει, οὐδ' ἂν ἐκεῖ αὐτὰ τότε τέθεικεν, εἰ μὴ καὶ τότε τὸν καιρὸν εἶδεν ἐκεῖνον ἀπαιτοῦντα τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἀλλ' ἐσίγησεν ἄν: ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι ἦλθε καὶ ἀπῆλθε λέγων, οὐκέτι προστίθησι τὰ ἐντεῦθεν γενόμενα. Ἔπειτα μετὰ τρία ἔτη ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Πέτρον. Τί ταύτης ταπεινοφρονέστερον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς; Μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα κατορθώματα, μηδὲν Πέτρου δεόμενος, μηδὲ τῆς ἐκείνου φωνῆς, ἀλλ' ἰσότιμος ὢν αὐτῷ (πλέον γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐρῶ τέως), ὅμως ἀνέρχεται ὡς πρὸς μείζονα καὶ πρεσβύτερον: καὶ τῆς ἀποδημίας αὐτῷ τῆς ἐκεῖ γίνεται αἰτία ἡ ἱστορία Πέτρου μόνη. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὴν προσήκουσαν αὐτοῖς ἀπονέμει τιμὴν, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἀμείνω, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ἐκείνων εἶναι νομίζει; Καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς ἀποδημίας ταύτης δῆλον. Καθάπερ γὰρ νῦν πολλοὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων πρὸς ἁγίους ἄνδρας ἀποδημοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος πρὸς Πέτρον τότε διακείμενος ἀπῄει: μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ ταπεινότερον. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ νῦν ὠφελείας ἕνεκεν ἀποδημοῦσιν: ὁ δὲ μακάριος τότε ἐκεῖνος, οὐχ ὡς μαθησόμενός τι παρ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ὡς διόρθωσίν τινα δεξόμενος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ὥστε ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ τιμῆσαι τῇ παρουσίᾳ. Ἱστορῆσαι γὰρ, φησὶ, Πέτρον. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἰδεῖν Πέτρον, ἀλλ', Ἱστορῆσαι Πέτρον, ὅπερ οἱ τὰς μεγάλας πόλεις καὶ λαμπρὰς καταμανθάνοντες λέγουσιν. Οὕτω πολλῆς ἄξιον ἡγεῖτο σπουδῆς εἶναι καὶ τὸ μόνον ἰδεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πράξεων δῆλον. Ὅτε γὰρ ἦλθεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, πολλοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέψας, καὶ τοσαῦτα ἐργασάμενος, ὅσα τῶν ἑτέρων οὐδεὶς, τὴν Παμφυλίαν, τὴν Λυκαονίαν, τὸ Κιλίκων ἔθνος, πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὸ μέρος ἐκεῖνο τῆς οἰκουμένης διορθωσάμενος καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ προσαγαγὼν, πρῶτον μὲν εἰσέρχεται πρὸς Ἰάκωβον μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ὡς πρὸς μείζονα καὶ τιμιώτερον. Ἔπειτα συμβουλεύοντος ἀνέχεται, καὶ συμβουλεύοντος ἐναντία τῶν νῦν. Ὁρᾷς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀδελφὲ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἰσὶν Ἰουδαίων τῶν πεπιστευκότων; Ἀλλὰ ξύρησαι, καὶ ἁγνίσθητι. Καὶ ἐξυρήσατο, καὶ τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ πάντα ἐπετέλεσεν. Ἔνθα μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἐβλάπτετο τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, πάντων ταπεινότερος ἦν: ἔνθα δὲ ἐκ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἑώρα τινὰς ἀδικουμένους, οὐκέτι ἐκέχρητο τούτῳ τῷ πλεονεκτήματι: τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἦν λοιπὸν ταπεινοφρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ λυμαίνεσθαι καὶ διαφθείρειν τοὺς μαθητευομένους. Καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε. Τὸ μὲν οὖν δι' αὐτὸν ἀποδημῆσαι, τιμῆς ἦν πολλῆς: τὸ δὲ καὶ τοσαύτας ἐπιμεῖναι ἡμέρας, φιλίας καὶ σφοδροτάτης ἀγάπης. Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Ὅρα πῶς πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον μείζονα τὴν φιλίαν ἔχει: καὶ γὰρ δι' αὐτὸν ἀπεδήμησε, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔμεινε. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ λέγω συνεχῶς, καὶ ἀξιῶ φυλάττειν, ἵν' ὅταν ἀκούσητε, ἃ κατὰ Πέτρου δοκεῖ εἰρηκέναι, μηδεὶς ὑποπτεύσῃ τὸν Ἀπόστολον. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦτο προδιορθούμενος ταῦτά φησιν, ἵνα ὅταν λέγῃ, ὅτι Ἀντέστην Πέτρῳ, μηδεὶς ἔχθρας καὶ φιλονεικίας ταῦτα εἶναι νομίσῃ τὰ ῥήματα: καὶ γὰρ τιμᾷ τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ φιλεῖ μᾶλλον πάντων. Δι' οὐδένα γὰρ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀνεληλυθέναι φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἢ δι' αὐτὸν μόνον. Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον. Εἶδον, οὐκ ἐδιδάχθην, φησὶ, παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐδέν. Ἀλλ' ὅρα καὶ τοῦτον μεθ' ὅσης τιμῆς ὠνόμασεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἰάκωβον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σεμνολόγημα προσέθηκεν, Τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου: οὕτω βασκανίας ἁπάσης ἀπηλλαγμένος ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ σημῆναι ὃν ἔλεγεν ἤθελεν, ἐνῆν καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρου γνωρίσματος τοῦτο ποιῆσαι δῆλον, καὶ εἰπεῖν τὸν τοῦ Κλωπᾶ, ὅπερ καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἔλεγεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπεν οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων σεμνολογήματα ἴδια εἶναι ἐνόμιζεν, ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἐπαίρων, οὕτω σεμνύνει κἀκεῖνον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν οὕτως, ὡς εἶπον, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφὸς ἦν τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐνομίζετο: ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπεστράφη τὸ ἀξίωμα θεῖναι τοῦ ἀνδρός. Καὶ πολλαχόθεν ἄλλοθεν δείκνυται, ὅτι διέκειτο πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους πάντας οὕτω γνησίως, ὡς αὐτῷ πρέπον ἦν. Ἃ δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι. Εἶδες διὰ πάντων ὁμοίως ἐκλάμπουσαν τῆς ἁγίας ταύτης ψυχῆς τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην; Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ ἀγωνιζόμενος, καὶ μέλλων εὐθύνας ὑπέχειν, οὕτως ἐσπούδακεν ἀπολογήσασθαι. Ἔπειτα ἦλθον εἰς τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ Κιλικίας: μετὰ τὸ Πέτρον ἰδεῖν. Πάλιν ἄρχεται τοῦ λόγου καὶ τοῦ ἀγῶνος τοῦ προκειμένου, τῆς μὲν Ἰουδαίας οὐχ ἁπτόμενος, διά τε τὸ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη ἀπεστάλθαι, καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἂν ἑλέσθαι ἐπ' ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομεῖν. Διόπερ οὐδὲ κατὰ ψιλὴν αὐτοὺς συντυχίαν εἶδε: καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς δῆλον. Ἤμην γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Μόνον δὲ ἀκούοντες ἦσαν, ὅτι Ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε, νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν, ἤν ποτε ἐπόρθει. Τί ταύτης τῆς ψυχῆς μετριώτερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ τὰ φέροντα αὐτῷ κατηγορίαν διελέγετο, οἷον ὅτι ἐδίωκε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἐπόρθει αὐτὴν, μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὰ τέθεικε τῆς ὑπερβολῆς, ἐκπομπεύων αὑτοῦ τὸν βίον τὸν πρότερον: τὰ δὲ μέλλοντα αὐτὸν δεικνύναι λαμπρὸν, ταῦτα παρατρέχει. Καὶ δυνάμενος, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, τὰ κατορθώματα αὑτοῦ πάντα εἰπεῖν, οὐδὲν αὐτῶν τίθησιν, ἀλλ' ἑνὶ ῥήματι πέλαγος παρελθὼν ἄφατον, καὶ εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἦλθον εἰς τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλικίας, καὶ ὅτι Ἀκούοντες ἦσαν, ὅτι Ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε, νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν, ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει, οὐδὲν πλέον προσέθηκε. Τί δὲ αὐτῷ βούλεται τὸ λέγειν, ὅτι Ἀγνοούμενος ἤμην ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας; Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχε τοῦ κηρύξαι αὐτοῖς περιτομὴν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀπὸ ὄψεως γνώριμος ἦν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἐδόξαζον ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν Θεόν. Σκόπει καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸν κανόνα αὐτοῦ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, πῶς αὐτὸν διατηρεῖ μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἐθαύμαζόν με, ἐπῄνουν με, ἐξεπλήττοντο, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τῆς χάριτος ἔδειξεν ὄν. Τὸν γὰρ Θεὸν ἐδόξαζον, φησὶν, ἐν ἐμοί.